


Uhtceare

by Ghhost



Category: Call of Duty
Genre: Canon Dialogue, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-03-23 15:29:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 44,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3773428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghhost/pseuds/Ghhost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How it really happened in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.<br/>Here is the love between our two favourite soldiers! [Set from the beginning of Aftermath and onwards]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello,  
> I'm not new to AO3, but I only recently made an account so I'm still trying to get used to the overwhelming awesomeness. I love COD and Advanced Warfare especially and am I excited as hell to join the fandom! You guys write like Gods, seriously, I've read pretty much every Jack/Gideon story on here, BOOTYFUL WORK. Pls accept my shoddy writing.
> 
> No Beta or anything so all grammatical mistakes are my own though I try to make as little as possible. 
> 
> Please enjoy! [next chapter up soon if you guys like this one]

**Chapter One**

Detroit, Michigan, USA

August 5th, 2059

2400 HRS

* * *

It was at times like these that Jack wished he had gone into pottery instead. He liked doing that kind of thing, getting his hands dirty but with non-life threatening substances. After the crap with Seattle and the nuclear explosions, he was really starting to rethink his life choices.

“Welcome to Detroit.” Gideon said, hopping off the warbird behind him and waving briefly to the pilot, startling Mitchell out of his thoughts. “Two and a half million people live in camps just like this one.” He cast a cursory glance around the dark camp that smelt like mold and misery—if misery had a smell. “No fuckin’ holiday, but they’ve got food, water, security—all courtesy of Atlas.”

To Mitchell this mostly translated into ‘hey, you can stay here spared no expenses—but you have to work hard and do what I tell you or I’ll beat you up’.

“Now the KVA had the balls to move in next door…” Gideon shook his head before descending the stairs at a rapid pace. “Fuck me.”

Shifting the Bal-27 Custom in his grip and briefly running the thumb on his prosthetic hand along the barrel, Mitchell trotted down the stairs after his captain. He had been working under—no pun intended—Gideon for four years now, and those four years were spent constantly chasing the KVA and running around foreign countries like idiotic children with too much freedom due to Atlas being an international cooperation, and then the government of each area tracking their movements like compulsive highlighters. A normal, average day often went along the lines of: wake up, coffee, harass Gideon and his cursing tendencies, spar with Joker, shower, shower’s cut short because of a KVA spotting, diving on a warbird half suited up because the spotting is halfway across the world, Gideon making fun of his Atlas boxers (of which he also has to wear mind you) and Joker coming up with some sassy remark… anyway, Mitchell tries not to dwell on how much sleep he’s getting—or not getting.

“You look like shit.”

Mitchell’s head snaps up to see Joker standing beside the tall fence, smirking at Gideon with that familiar competitive spark in his eyes.

“Twenty-two days straight. The KVA doesn’t take a break, neither do we.” Gideon deadpanned, continuing his high speed walk and Joker matching his pace easily, undeterred.

“Copy that.” Joker says, flipping his gun over his back with a satisfying click as it rests in its holster. “They were going to start moving people back in next month. Then the KVA showed up, now everything’s on lockdown.”

Mitchell’s ears perked up. Lockdown—how riveting.

“They’re protecting our target. We still locked in on him?”

“Dr. Pierre Danois. He’s in the midtown hospital. We’re green.”

“Four years of hunting down that bastard Hades and his right hand man turns up at our doorstep. Fucking brilliant.”

It was a long walk through the camp until they reached the full body scanner that lead to the hoverbikes.

“One second, Captain.”

“ _Scanning for isotopes, please wait_ ”

Standing behind Gideon, Mitchell waited patiently for the fluorescent blue light to pass through him.

“What the hell are the KVA doing in Detroit, boss?” Joker asked, frustration laced through his gravelly voice that sounded more tired than usual.

“An empty city without police or eyewitnesses, good place to hide something. Or someone.” Gideon answered flatly.

“Gideon.”

“Torres, we set?”

“Good to go, sir. Bikes are prepped, timeline is locked in.”

“Alright, saddle up.”

Mitchell mounted the hoverbike and pressed the triangular button in the middle, syncing up with Gideon’s bike before the older man even got a chance to order him to.

“Sync to—”

“Already done.” Mitchell interrupted, a rather smug smirk on his lips. Gideon held his gaze for a moment before chuckling and rolling his eyes, increasing the rev on his bike.

Prophet’s voice came in static through the device in Mitchell’s ear as he spoke. “Bravo two-one, Dr. Danois is holding position at the hospital. Clock is ticking.”

“Copy, Prophet.” Mitchell couldn’t help the small shiver that rolled up his spine at the sound of his captain’s voice over the comm. “Hitting checkpoint blue in five.”

“Remember capture only. We need him to find Hades.”

“Roger. Bravo out.”

Gideon stops the bike when the two AST’s guarding the entrance walk up.

“Name and order number.”

“Gideon, order 5527.”

One wandered over to Mitchell and he looked up into the shadowed helmet, vaguely put off by the staring.

“Got four operatives on bikes heading in. Mission order 5527.”

The imposing metallic gates opened slowly, bringing the rest of the tattered city into view. It looked pretty bad, trash and bits of rubble laying everywhere (though some clusters were haphazardly shoved out of the way with bricks and traffic cones), cluttering the sidewalks and what was left of the roads. The hoverbike just made it above all the pieces of piled debris on autopilot, though Gideon tried to avoid the larger piles.

"Prophet. Bravo two-one. Moving past phase line delta." Gideon said over the comm. "Stay locked on."

"Can't believe this is Detroit." Torres muttered over the comm and Mitchell could see his head turning to regard the ruined city out of the corner of his eye.

"It hasn't changed that much." Joker replied airily.  

Gideon lead the hoverbikes down into an underground garage and Mitchell felt a wave of uncomfortable claustrophobia washing over him, but it didn't last long because they were then out again, the moonlight streamingdown onto the wrecked road below.

"Link up point ahead, twelve o'clock." Said Gideon, his voice sending familiar waves of happy tingles dancing along Mitchell's spine. "Prophet. Bravo two-one at link up point. Standby."

"Standing by two-one."

Gideon pulled his bike over, the other three following suit and Mitchell didn't waste time climbing off, unstrapping his gun and walking over to his captain out of habit. Or at least he likes to think it's habit, not just the fact he likes standing beside Gideon.

"Mitchell and I are taking the north side, you two south. RV at Bates Street."

 _Damn right we are_ Mitchell thought smugly, the grip of his gun bouncing lightly on his forearm as he shifted from foot to foot to warm himself up as the rain dropped steadily overhead.

"Roger that." Replied Joker who gave Mitchell a knowing smirk before he followed Torres out of sight.

The comm blipped and Prophet's voice was heard. "ISR detecting movement north west at a hundred meters from your position."

"We'll keep our heads on a swivel." Gideon said, ignoring Mitchell's chuckle and already starting to walk.

Mitchell followed him, keeping close but not too close because being too close to Gideon did things to his head not to mention his aim.

"Clean up vehicle ahead. No one's supposed to be in this sector." Gideon paused briefly by the blaring headlights of the car. "Watch your ROE. Maintain stealth." 

"Has anyone ever told you how _distracting_ your accent is?" Mitchell whispered, his voice taking on mock exasperation. Gideon's accent was incredibly sexy to him and even after all these years he still hasn't gotten used to it, and he didn't suspect he would anytime soon. 

Gideon was silent for a moment before stopping and looking at him over his shoulder, giving him the are-you-seriously-doing-this-right-now look.

"Frequently." Gideon's indulgence in him made Jack's lips quirk into a genuine grin.

A blip from the comm signified Prophet and shit Mitchell forgot to switch to a private line. "Problem two-one?"

"Nothing. Bravo out." Gideon growled after the blip and cuffed Mitchell's ear making the younger man stifle his laughter with great difficulty and lean over to bump Gideon's shoulder. "What part of stealth don't you get you asshole."

Mitchell rolls his eyes because in all honesty stealth is more than hard to maintain when you're running on less than four hours sleep and coffee is no where in your immediate future.

"Prophet, we're at checkpoint blue. Moving through the school."

Prophet answers a second later, his voice no longer holding the amused tone it had before but his usual professional one. "Copy. We're tracking you."

They continue through the building, bits of glass and wood littering the floor and it's a task all in itself to avoid the shards. 

They're walking through a particularly dark hallway when one of the lamp bulbs above their heads burst and Gideon stumbles back with a fright, pointing his gun at the traitorous light.

"Shit." He shakes his head and laughs slightly, the sound only audible over the comms and the warm sound dives straight down Mitchell's ear.

"Careful," Mitchell whispered. "It can probably smell fear."

Gideon gave him the look of death before flipping him the finger, causing the private to snigger.

Gideon lifted himself up swiftly and proceeded to open a door, which creaked ominously before revealing yet another empty hallway.

They entered, flashlights zipping around the graffitied walls.

"Fuck me." Gideon's voice was an exhale of breath excluding all previous mirth and Mitchell's eyebrows pulled together as he hurried up to his captain's side only to see corpses littered across the school floor.

"Joker," Gideon began. "I've got bodies. Looks like a clean up crew. Hazmats suits are missing. Treat all hazmats as hostile."

There's another blip before Joker's voice comes through. "Copy."

"If the KVA have been operating under disguise, there could be more of them than we thought." Gideon turned away from the body he was examining prior and looked at Mitchell.

"Mitchell, get the door."   

Mitchell shifted his gun into his real hand and opened the door with his other.

"Up the stairs." Gideon muttered, taking the lead.

It looked like something out of a zombie apocalypse movie or some sort of ghost themed horror film, the ones with psychiatric hospitals.

They soon came across a break in the floor, the only possible way to pass to the other side would be across a thin, unstable looking platform.

Mitchell winced when Gideon started towards it, bending a metallic beam out of the way before pushing past it and continuing on. Mitchell's hand shot out subconsciously and clasped Gideon's shoulder when he began to shuffle across a particularly unstable looking piece of tattered floor.

Gideon looked at him as if Mitchell had tapped him to get his attention. Jack shook his head and let his hand drop immediately. After a cursory glance he also began to shuffle across the platform, the protruding beams shaking unpleasantly beneath his boots.

 _This isn't going to end well_ he thought warily.

"Easy," came Gideon's voice over the comm, Mitchell turning to shoot him a puzzled look before he heard the movement below and stilled instantly.

Two people in hazmat suits were walking below them, their flashlights snapping from one wall to the next so fast that Mitchell wasn't sure they could even see anything moving it at that speed.

“Let them pass.”

After a few silent moments, the people in hazmats got closer to a sharp corner and as soon as the first one disappeared around it, Gideon began to shuffle sideways again and Mitchell followed.

As soon as Mitchell took his next step however, the metal beam that had been holding him up cracked beneath him, the sound horrendous and crunching beneath his feet. Gideon’s hand was too late, his fingertips brushing Mitchell’s as the young private fell to the floor below. The pain was instantaneous, shooting up the lower side of his back and causing his vision to blur.

“Mitchell? Mitchell?” Jack dragged his gaze up to Gideon who looked like he was on the verge of jumping down after him, the muscles in his face tight with anxiety. “Hold tight, I’ll try get down to you.”

But then the hazmat clad people were coming back and Mitchell twisted trying to reach for his gun. The ground creaked again and Mitchell’s breath hitched in his throat as his whole body shook when the floor seemed to crumble away from under him, and he was falling again.

This hurt more. It was a longer fall and he landed square on his back, water flooding the area below splashing on his face and momentarily blinding him.

“Mitchell!”

He was unable to move for a moment, his head pounding and arms aching.

“Bollocks. If you can, push to the south side. Link up there.”

Mitchell made a face, hauling himself up using a suspended pipe for balance. Without any other options, Mitchell cast a glance up at Gideon who met his gaze.

Jack was the first to break eye contact as he began walking towards the door up ahead, slipping his knife out of its holder.

“Mitchell, I’m seeing a lot of movement, stay hidden.”

“Yeah, I’ll—” A hazmat came around the same corner at the same time and Mitchell’s hand moved on it’s own, his knife slicing straight into the enemy. He grunted with the effort, rolling his shoulder in an attempt to relieve some of the pain.

“Jack, are you okay?” Came Gideon’s voice a second later, somewhat rushed and holding a panicked note.

Mitchell didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or slam his head against the nearest wall at the thrill that went through him at the sound of his name coming from Gideon’s lips.

“Everything’s swell down here, cap.” Mitchell said after a moment of indecision.

There was a relieved exhale. “Keep quiet and try not to get yourself killed down there, Mitchell.”

 _Okay_ , Mitchell thought sourly, _moment gone_.

He picked up the gun off the next hazmat he slammed his fist into (as quietly as possible) and reloaded it, taking the first flight of stairs he came across.

It was really dark and without a flashlight he could barely see, his footsteps echoing as he walked, even when he tried tip toeing (which he's sure looked ridiculous). He came across another hazmat and stalked him into the next room before grabbing him and twisting his neck in one swift movement.

“That sounded ace mate.” Gideon said, amusement in his voice.

Mitchell smiled. “Thanks I learned it from the best.”

The next hallway he crossed shook as he stepped across it, forcing him to pull a tactical slide to get to the other side or risk another drop his back really couldn’t handle.

On his way through the next door and down a promisingly stable looking hall, a hazmat attacked him, grabbing his shoulders and hauling him forward so his stomach connected with the enemy’s knee. He twisted in the man’s hold, slamming his heel against the area where foot joined ankle, taking the familiar snapping to be a good sign before grabbing a brick and ramming it into the offender’s face. He then proceeded to knife the man until he no longer struggled. 

 _Brutle_. He thought momentarily before Gideon’s voice came on over the comm.

“Mitchell, down here.”  Jack hurried through another room and leapt through the nearest window and down the fire escape stairs.“Thought you were compromised.”

“Jeez Gid, glad to know how much faith you have in me. It really eases my soul.”

Gideon ignored his comment. “Patrol up ahead. Need to accelerate our timeline. Get ready to drop ‘em.”

Mitchell frowned but did as he was told, reaching where Gideon was, crouching and adopting the same position beside him. He aimed at the first hazmat he saw, shooting him straight through the head.

It caused a riot, more flooding in from all sights.

“More on the way, kick it off!”

Mitchell took a shot to the protected part of his shoulder and the force shoved him backwards, but Gideon caught him, one strong arm wrapped around the American’s shoulder briefly before steadying him and dropping. Mitchell continued shooting, leaping back when a grenade rolled down towards them.

Mitchell threw grenades of his own as he took shelter in the abandoned buildings lining the street, hurrying along until he ran across the road whilst throwing a lethal grenade to his right and diving head first into the house, quickly heaving himself up to shoot the man racing towards him in the leg and then the head. A bullet sliced right beside his neck and he flinched back, hand automatically going to the wound and coming back red. He swallowed and took out his secondary to shoot the attacker, quickly rolling behind a table to reload. Once the area was clear he hurried through the maze of tables and chairs before he reached Gideon who glanced at his neck, something akin to worry and question on his features before he continued through the doorway, Mitchell following close on his heels.

“Joker, I need a sitrep.”

Joker replied a moment later. “We’re at the checkpoint on Bates street. Got KVA everywhere.”

“Engage at will, we’re almost there.”

They hurried through the complex onto a half open balcony square, at least 20 new KVA soldiers invading their position.

“Contact one o’clock!”

Mitchell reached into a pouch to realise he had no fucking lethal grenades remaining and he swore.

“Conta— _Mitchell_!” A hand came down on Mitchell’s sore shoulder and he was shoved roughly to the right, a bullet hole ingrained in the wood where his head had been moments before. Mitchell watched as Gideon threw a grenade in the enemies general direction before taking Mitchell’s hand and hauling him to his feet. Gideon’s hand slipped down so that he was holding Mitchell’s forearm and he gave him the irritated captain look Mitchell was used to getting when he was too reckless.  

They continued across the platform, Mitchell clearing the next room out.

“There they are.” Gideon said, hurrying towards the window. “Let’s move.”

Hurrying towards an ambulance, Mitchell began clearing the perimeter.

“Status on the doctor.” Gideon ordered, reloading his gun before shooting three more hazmats.

Joker was silent for a moment before responding, most likely checking his tech. “Biometric trace has a lock on him. Still at the hospital.”

 _Great_ , Mitchell thought, taking cover behind the rear of the ambulance. _At least we won’t have to go on a wild goose chase_.

“Good. We need to get off the X. Move out.”

“We’ve got no cover on this street boss,” Joker insisted, following Gideon towards the rear end of the ambulance where Mitchell was.

“The ambulance, that’s our cover.”

 _Oh great. We’re gonna have to push that, aren’t we_.

“Hospital one hundred meters. Joker cover us. Mitchell, help me push this.”

_Oh for fuc—_

“Mitchell!”

For the second time that evening, Gideon yanked him out of harms way and took care of the threat. With a muffled ‘thank you’, Mitchell slammed his hands against the vehicle, shoving it along the ruined road and stopping occasionally to make sure he didn’t get shot in the process.

“Entry to the right. move, move!”

Mitchell dove into the hospital first, racing through the hallway.

Joker’s voice could be heard seconds behind him. “Doctor’s close. Second floor, north corner.”

“Roger that.” Mitchell called over his shoulder.

“Alive at all costs.” Gideon reminds him pointedly. Mitchell snorted.

“Yes mom.”

Joker snorted loudly and Gideon cursed, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like ‘just wait ‘till we’re back at HQ’ and ‘cleaning duty for a month’.

Totally worth it.

He raced up the staircase, Joker and Gideon hot on his heels before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Flashbang!” Gideon yelled, hauling him back.

Everything went white for a moment and Mitchell shot at random, trying to haul himself to his feet and force his eyes to focus on the targets that he still couldn’t really see. Once able, he started through the left side, clearing the halls as Gideon did the right and Joker straight down the middle. They eventually met beside a door.

“This is it. Mitchell, hit the door.”

“Yeah, me and my expendable arm.” He muttered, half joking before slamming said arm against the door and watching it crack and shatter to the floor. There was something strangely satisfying in doing that. 

He slammed his fist into the first enemy’s sternum and shot the next, relying on Gideon to clear out the rest. The doctor was cowering pathetically half under a desk.

“Don’t shoot!”

“Mitchell, grab him.” Gideon ordered, walking forward so he was face to face with the doctor. “Seen your pal Hades recently?”

Gideon’s fist connected with the side of the doctor’s face hard and he toppled to the floor.

“I won’t talk.” He rasped.

Before he could finish that sentence, Joker walked in and pressed a knee down against the doctor’s chest, making the man heave in a breath.

“That’s what they all say.” Gideon muttered, a mirthless smirk on his lips. “Just before the screaming starts.”

“You think this changes anything? You have no idea what he’s capable of. You are all dead! We are dead!”

Joker punched him right in the bridge of his nose and the doctor’s head swung back and hit the floor. “Not today.”

“Bag and drag him.”

“With pleasure.”

“Mitchell, on me.”

They hurried back through the hallways, up the stairs and out into the opening towards the hoverbikes. When they entered another abandoned building, Mitchell was thrust back with the shockwave of something he didn’t see detonate. He hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him. He turned feebly to try and see Gideon but he couldn’t turn his head—he could barely breathe let alone try to turn anything.

He dragged in a painful breath. “Gideon?”

He can’t even really hear his own voice and for a moment the windows look like they’re on the floor. When his eyes focus, he twists so he can push himself off the ground with his palms and he sees Gideon who is still unmoving on the floor and momentarily panics, but more hazmats are climbing through the window on the left.

 _Shit_ is all he can think before all enemies fall to the floor, dead.

Two men appear in front of him a second later, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. One is walking towards Mitchell with his hand held out and speaks before he gets a chance to wrap his head around the 'how the hell did they get here' first.

“Reactionary forces are inbound, we got’cha covered. Now you take the doctor and move out while you can.”

Mitchell pulled himself up, noticing Gideon was already standing, his hand pressed against his side as if nursing a wound.

“I like to know who’s watching my back, mate.”

“That’s classified, _mate_.”

More shots are fired before Gideon can respond and the men are gone again.

“You sure we’re okay with this boss?” Joker asked.

“Not sure we have a choice.” Gideon answered, heading for the open doorway.

“The hell was that?” Joker asks as soon as they’re through the door and heading down the stairs.

“Fuck knows.”

They reach the bottom floor and Mitchell spies the hoverbikes.

“On the bikes. Move.”

Mitchell climbs on. Joker has the doctor slung over one shoulder and sticks his tongue out at Jack as he crossed the front of his bike. Mitchell tried to chuckle discreetly, giving Joker a humorous smirk.

“Go go go!”

And then they’re off, racing through the tattered city with choppers hot on their heels.

*

“Jesus Mitchell.” Gideon grumbles on the way back to HQ, positioned in between the private’s legs and tending to that rather nasty looking wound right across his neck.

“Stitches?”

“Damn right.”

Mitchell chuckles but winces when the tip of the cotton bud touches the gash. Gideon’s right hand is cradling the side of Mitchell’s face, the captain’s thumb pressing against his chin, the rest of his fingers splayed out across Mitchell’s temple, holding him in place. Mitchell sighs slowly, closing his eyes and leaning into the touch slightly. After a moment, Gideon begins to stitch the wound, being more gentle then Mitchell thought was possible, causing him to open his eyes again. Gideon is looking at the injury, his wrist twisting with every stitch he makes. Mitchell ignores the pulling pain and focuses on Gideon’s face, the tired lines under his eyes and the creases between his brows. Gideon’s eyes are something else up close like this. A musty ice blue that look slightly green in some lights and he can’t look away from them.

“Why’re you doing this?” Mitchell murmurs. “We have medics.”

Gideon looks up to meet his gaze and holy _shit_.

“You’re in my squad, you’re my responsibility.” He answers after a hesitation. Mitchell raises his eyebrows and feels his lips twitch up into a smile.

“So why aren’t you patching up Joker?”

“You’re right, I should do that.”

Gideon stands and Mitchell grabs his arm. “But I’m not satisfied with my care yeeeet!”

“Mitchell don’t be greedy!” Joker whines from the other side of the chopper.

“Fucking hell, how do I end up with you idiots.”

 


	2. Manhunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoho second chapter! Thank you to those who commented and kudos'd this work! I really appreciate it! Plus can we make the whole 'Gidchell' a thing? Is it already a thing? I hope it is. 
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy chapter 2!

**Chapter Two**

Santorini, Greece

September 13th, 2059

1130 HRS

* * *

Mitchell could get used to this view. If he had a normal life, one without constant confrontation and danger, he would move here. Definitely. Blue skies, blue seas, seagulls, delicious food and great people, Greece was perfect for him. The sound of a cup being placed on the glass table made him turn to see Ilona. She was as intimidating as ever—probably scared the waiter away, poor guy.

Mitchell smiled when he heard Gideon’s voice through the comm, laced with sarcasm. “Lean forward Ilona. Supposed to be on your honeymoon.”

“Keep your eyes on Hades, not me.”

“Key Man is approaching. Mark him.”

With a slight smile, Ilona passed a device towards him across the table. “You’re up, Mitchell.”

She took a sip of her drink whilst Mitchell initiated the scan.

“Uplink is good.” Prophet said through the comm.

“Let’s find the Key Man. Scan for comm signals.”

Mitchell read all information lining his sight before Ilona spoke again.

“You’ll have to zoom in for a proper scan.”

Mitchell did so, scanning the faces in the crowd.

“Now—look for the KVA comm signal. That’ll be our ticket inside the safehouse.”

After a moment of tracing the people crowding around one of the meat stalls full of questionable looking chicken bodies, the signal strength shot up and Mitchell jumped slightly at the sudden loud buzz in his ear.

“KVA signal is close.”

Mitchell scanned the man but it wasn’t him, typically.

“Try switching cameras.”

Mitchell did, scanning the next person with a high signal strength. Still not.

Ilona sighed slightly. “He’s not here. Switch to another camera.”

Mitchell scanned around another area, this time trying to single out someone from a more sparse crowd. It worked.

“Comm signal is a KVA match. He’s our Key Man.” Prophet said through the comm and Mitchell let out a huff of relief. He discreetly passed the tech back across the glass table to Ilona who took it and fitted it neatly into her bag.

“That’s our ticket inside.” She said. “Bravo moving.”

Mitchell reached down to grab his duffle bag and stood as a screen appeared beside his left eye.

“Team,” Irons began. “I don’t need to remind you how important this mission is. Hades is responsible for the nuclear attacks four years ago. We bring him down, we bring down the whole KVA network. There’s no room for error. Get it done.”

 _No pressure or anything._ Mitchell thought wryly, lifting the strap of his bag over his head to rest comfortably on his shoulder.

Mitchell and Ilona headed out of the cafe and down the stairs towards a food stall with cucumbers and tomatoes and such on sale.

“Loose follow,” Ilona said. “Then take him out.”

Mitchell looked up at the houses lining the street as they walked along it. They were nice. This place was nice. The buildings were a sandy colour with ostentatiously coloured doors and plants often littered around the entrance. This was definitely somewhere Mitchell would come back to once this whole ordeal was over—if it would _ever_ be over, that is.

“I’ll clear out the back,” Ilona said and turned to smile at Mitchell over her shoulder before heading off to the right, her hips swaying slightly.

“Don’t cock this up, ladies.” Gideon said over the comm and Mitchell gagged.

“ _Cock_ this up?” Mitchell heard Gideon make some sort of noise that could possibly either be considered a grunt or a laugh of some sorts. “So risqué.”

"Did you just say _risqué_?"  

Mitchell grinned and watched Ilona disappear like a cat into the alleyway and continued onwards, planning to meet her on the other side of this housing complex.

It occurred to him that he should probably be less back-chatty, but it was important on a job like this to find fun where you were able. No one knew when everything would go ass up. 

He walked up another flight of stairs, dogs barking raucously in the distance.

“This is private property.” Bingo. “You need to leave.”

Mitchell slid against the wall and peeked through the opening onto a secluded square where he saw Ilona and two other men dressed in civilian attire.

“I’m looking for the market.” She said, voice steady and calm. “I guess I got lost.”

There was a small moment of silence where Mitchell guessed the two KVA soldiers were contemplating on whether or not to believe her—but Ilona was alluring and mystifying so anyone could fall prey, he wouldn’t hold it against them.

“It’s not here, go. Now.”

“Bravo,” Prophet began. “Take the guard.”

Mitchell heard the smile in Ilona’s voice as she spoke again. “Could you at least point me in the right direction?”

“No. Stay where you are. I’m calling this in.”

He began walking, hanging low to the ground until he was behind the soldier that wasn’t talking to Ilona and leapt on him, twisting his head with a satisfying crack, the appendage laying limp as he pulled the man behind some crates. The other soldier looked over, face twisting with panic as he reached for his gun but it was already too late. Mitchell unstrapped the soldier's gun, hurrying up the stairs after Ilona.

“Nice work.” She said. “Weapons ready.”

“Did you hear that? She’s nicer than you.”

Gideon snorted on the other end and Mitchell chuckled.

Ilona rolled her eyes amiably. “Bravo has the key card.”

Prophet spoke next. “Alpha, be advised. Bravo is on the X.”

“Roger that.” Gideon answered. Mitchell really did like Gideon’s voice.

Ilona swiped the card on the door and opened it silently, which was a shocker because it was metal and old and would have certainly creaked if Mitchell had been the one to open it. Some things just needed a woman’s touch, perhaps.

“Hold up,” Ilona whispered. “Painting targets."

Mitchell took some cover behind piled hay boxes with red tape lining the sides. Something clinked against the floor lightly and red flooded the room for a moment, leaving the targets highlighted.

“Patrol—take him.”

Mitchell shot the lit up enemy through the boxes silently, none of the other enemies moving.

“Two in the next room.”

Mitchell looked up briefly at one of the other highlighted men who were bent over in a strange position.

 _Is he taking a shit or something?_ Mitchell thought briefly. When he looked back at where Ilona had been, she was gone and he had a momentary freak out before realising she’d already moved around the corner and was closing in on the unsuspecting targets in the next room. Once caught up, Mitchell shot the first one through the thin wall and the next straight in the head.

“Upstairs.”

They moved through the room that was covered in blue wrapping and had wires suspended from above, hanging like snakes from the ceiling. Once up the stairs, Ilona started towards a soldier laying on the sofa.

“This one’s mine. Wait for them to finish.”

Ilona smothered the soldier with a pillow she’d effortlessly tugged out from under him. He struggled but died soon enough when she shot him through it. Ilona walked forwards and crouched beside the open doorway.

“ _...it had better be. Or you’ll answer directly to me._ ”

“Understood.”

“ _Hades out._ ”

The screen the man was looking at flickered and Mitchell shot him, clean through and through.

“Prophet,” Ilona began. “Safehouse clear. Will put eyes on the Conference Center.”

“Copy that Bravo. Alpha you are clear for Phase 2.”

“Copy,” Gideon said. “Alpha is loading up the truck.”

“Mitchell, put on your exosuit. I’ll assemble the WASP. Let’s kit up.”

Mitchell walked over to the closest of the tables and shoved all contents off the surface before setting down his duffle bag and suiting up. He twisted his fists around briefly, enjoying the metallic noise of the exo syncing with his movements. It felt good to wear it.

Ilona was on the balcony, occasionally looking over her shoulder at the sandy white houses and blue rooftops below them. “Prophet, WASP ready for launch.”

Mitchell subconsciously placed a finger to the device in his ear when Gideon spoke. “Alpha in position. Standing by.”

“Copy that. Standby for WASP.”

“Take the drone Mitchell,” Ilona ordered. “I’ll put ears on Hades’ meeting.”

“Roger that,” Mitchell answered, putting away his gun in favour of reaching for the machine.

“WASP is airborne.” Prophet announced moments later. “200 meters to target. Zoom in on that conference room.”

Mitchell halted the WASP at a decent distance from the rather ugly (and abominably out of place amongst the beautiful white and blue topped houses) conference building and zoomed in.

“There,” Ilona said. “Have eyes on Hades.” He heard her let out a light breath before adding: “Wish we could pop him right now.”

Mitchell heard Gideon chuckle slightly. “Easy Ilona. Get the intel first.”

“Alpha’s truck is rolling to the gate.”

Mitchell, unable to help himself, directed the WASP’s gaze to the truck and he grinned when he saw his captain.

“Alpha, go black. WASP will start the party.”

“That I will,” Mitchell agreed, shooting Ilona a smirk she returned. He would wait for the guards to get close before dropping them.

“Hey—you!” Mitchell watched the KVA soldier approach Gideon’s truck.

_Just a little closer..._

“You cannot park here.”

“Make it quick,” Ilona ordered over the comm.

“This isn’t 14th? We have a delivery on 14th.” Mitchell had to force back the chuckle at Gideon trying to act confused. It just didn’t come naturally, like false humour.

“This street is off limits. Get moving.”

Mitchell then took the shots, both guards falling to the floor. “You sounded ridiculous.”

“Boring conversation anyway.” Gideon snorted. “Alpha ready to breach.”

“Mitchell,” Ilona began. “I’ll call your targets.” There was a moment of silence. “Shoot the two on the overwatch.”

Mitchell waited a brief second to aline then shot both guards with one bullet.

“Alpha, move in.”

He kept close tabs on Gideon as he and his group walked inside the gate and across the courtyard.

“Courtyard clear.” Gideon announced, moving forward.

“Alpha hold, you have a watcher inside.”

Mitchell felt his palms begin to sweat slightly and he exhaled, adjusting his grip on the device he used to control the WASP. One false move could claim Gideon’s and his group’s life.

_Not gonna happen. Not gonna—_

“Shit! Gideon’s in trouble!”

Mitchell’s heart leapt in his chest and he frantically searched for Gideon. When he spotted his captain, he zoomed in and his finger snapped the trigger, the man that was about to slam the butt of his gun into Gideon’s head falling dead to the floor. Jack let out a breath, teeth gritting. Still zoomed in, he saw Gideon look up from the direction the bullet came and Mitchell met his gaze.

“Thanks for the assist.” he said, hand raised in a 'thanks' manner, before jumping up and continuing down the footway.

“It’s clear. Alpha move up. Mitchell drop two, Alpha will mop up.”

Mitchell did as instructed.

“Pool is clear. Alpha moving.” Gideon muttered, pushing past the bodies. Mitchell swerved the WASP around so Gideon and his team were clear in sight. “Alpha in position. Placing the Mute Charge.”

“Copy that Alpha,” Ilona answered. “Mitchell, swing around and cover the glass side of the Atrium.”

Mitchell swung the WASP around and lowered the machine so that the view was clear. He could vaguely see the charge spreading through the room and began shooting at the guards that Gideon's team hadn’t already taken care of.

“Nice drop.”

“Atrium is clear.”

Mitchell watched Gideon and his team leap up onto the next level of the complex and sprint towards the conference room door.

“All stations be advised. It looks as though Hades is starting the meeting.”

“Roger that Prophet. Step it up, Alpha. Don’t want to miss the big pitch.” Ilona said, a smile to her voice.

“Copy that.” Gideon answered.

 _Is it really going to be this easy?_ Mitchell thought offhandedly before swinging around to shoot the two soldiers at the top of the stairs.

“Kill confirmed. Need to pull KVA off that door so Alpha can move in. Trip a car alarm.”

Mitchell shot one of the red sports cars parked outside and the alarm blared, the guards easily falling for the bait and hurrying towards the vehicle.

“KVA is moving.” Gideon said.

“WASP hit the three headed for the car.”

“Way ahead of you.” Mitchell answered, zooming in and dropping the soldiers.

“Clear.” Gideon reported. “Alpha moving to breach point.”

“Mitchell, get eyes on that meeting. Line up Hades nice and clean. All teams stand by for breach.”

Mitchell could feel his heart thumping uncomfortably in his chest and he briefly wondered when it had gotten this hard to control. He pulled the WASP down so he was directly in front of the glass windows—fucking stupid really, who had top secret bad-guy-meetings in a completely see through building? Whatever.

He placed the mark on Hades’ head.

“Hold fire until my mark.”

“ _I keep it closed at all times. It will keep us safe. You will contact him again for further payment. They have two days._ ”

“That’s it. WASP, take the shot.”

Mitchell shot Hades through the head and as soon as the man was down, the doors burst open and Gideon and his team jumped in, guns literally blazing.

Mitchell let out a relieved sigh and grinned, watching for a few more moments before zooming out.

But then Gideon’s voice was panicked over the comm and Mitchell zoomed back in, his heart back to full on dub step in his chest.

“Negative. It’s not Hades! Not Hades!”

“Shit he’s rigged! Clear the room!”

“Gideon!”

The explosion seemed slow and prolonged and bright—really _bright_. Mitchell has never felt more useless in his life except for that time he hadn’t been able to pull Will to safety—and that thought unloaded a whole lot of unpleasant memories. The WASP was hit a second later from the shockwave and it might as well have hit Mitchell instead because the man’s heart was falling a mile a second.

“Alpha report!”

Mitchell’s prosthetic hand nearly cracked the device in his hand in half.

“A body double was rigged with a remote bomb. We have a man down! Repeat—man down!”

It was Gideon speaking and Mitchell had never felt so goddamn relieved in his _life_. He sounded mighty pissed off and his voice was a little hoarse but other then that he seemed intact thank God.

 _Freak out later, job now_.

“Got a stamp on the detonator’s frequency! Standby while I trace the source.”

“Be advised, KVA on the move.”

“Yeah not anymore,” Mitchell grumbled irritably, sniping the stragglers one by one (sometimes two by two if he got lucky).

“WASP,” Gideon called. “We need some cover.”

“Roger that.” Mitchell replied, hauling the WASP towards Gideon’s position and taking out the soldiers that the team, of one less now, couldn’t quite reach.

“All stations,” Prophet started. “KVA tech rolling in.”

“Get on it Mitchell,” Ilona ordered. “I’m still tracing the source.”

“We can’t just sit on this building Ilona!”

“The real Hades is close, Gideon!” She insisted. “We can’t lose him!”

“All teams—truck leaving the south garage. It’s Hades! Hades is on the move!”

“Shit!” Gideon growled. “KVA drone—”

Suddenly the WASP was propelled back at an alarming speed, the screen cracking and all sorts of alarms blaring so loudly, Mitchell had to yank the earpiece out and back up from the tablet, breathing hard. The WASP went down with a crash and Mitchell swore.

“What just happened? Alpha? Report!”

“All teams on Hades! All teams on Hades! Truck is southbound!”

Mitchell looked desperately at Ilona who lifted a hand calmly and continued speaking into the comm.

“I’ve lost visual. Gideon—Gideon if you can hear me, follow Hades!” She broke into a sprint back into the building and Mitchell followed, taking out his gun and leaping down the stairs four at a time.

“Mitchell, down the back street. We need to cut off Hades!”

“Roger that.”

“Bravo be advised, KVA has surrounded your position.”

“Oh fuck me!”

Whilst it was definitely not the time to be horrendously amused, Ilona still shot Mitchell an incredulous look of which he returned with an overly exaggerated shrug. They raced out the back door, Mitchell shooting the first three people in sight and narrowly dodging a cage full of very, _very_ alarmed squawking chickens.

“Through here!” Ilona shouted, kicking down a blue gate rather gracefully before racing through, Mitchell close behind. “We’ll use the back alleys to cut him off!”

Mitchell avoided the screaming civilians, racing down the tunneled alleyway.

“Bravo. KVA inbound,” Prophet informed.  “Civilians in play.”

“That’s not cool.”

Ilona shoved a few civilians back the way she and Mitchell had come. “Out of the way! Get inside and stay there!”

They continued down the pathway until reaching the square. Mitchell threw a few grenades and took the moment to reload before leaping into the fray.

“KVA incoming!” Ilona yelled, racing through a house in the middle of the street, bodies flying out the windows as she went and it would’ve been funny under different circumstances. Mitchell was racing down the stairs when a KVA soldier whipped around randomly, slamming his face into the wall. Mitchell struggled, thrashing out when the soldier caught his arm and pinned it against his back. Mitchell rammed his heel against the man’s shin and elbowed him in the nose before shooting him in the face.

“Phew, felt the heat of that one!”

It was a second later when he realised Gideon hadn’t replied snarkily to his remark and he felt suddenly desolate, nerves tingling in the pit of his stomach.

“Mitchell!” Ilona called, “You good?”

“Yeah, good I’m—yeah good.”

She didn’t look convinced at all but continued ahead and he fell into step beside her.

“Alpha,” Ilona started, grabbing a KVA soldier’s head and slamming it into her knee, kicking the corpse off a particularly high staircase. “We’re hitting a ton of interference—what’s your status?” The last part was laced with a tense note of hope.

Mitchell waited with baited breath for the reply, not just adrenaline forcing his heart to run a mile a minute in his chest.

Gideon’s voice came through the comm at long last and Mitchell slammed his fist into a soldier’s face that was coming around the corner a little harder than _probably necessary_ but who cares. Gideon’s voice did wonders to boost his morale. “We’re crawling with KVA! Keep pushing forward and try to cut off Hades!”

“Roger that.” Ilona answered.

Mitchell threw a threat grenade and as soon as all the threats were highlighted he almost, _almost_ flipped his shit.

Something loud echoed through the area suddenly, and the ground shook noticeably, making both Ilona and Mitchell freeze momentarily.

Mitchell leapt off the balcony and landed right on an enemies head, shooting at least half a dozen whilst rolling to cover. Ilona followed suit, leaping off but in a straight line, reaching the window of a building and disappearing inside. Mitchell finally entered the same building, the pile of dead bodies leading straight to Ilona who jabbed a finger at a window where Mitchell took perch and shot, clearing out the courtyard. He jumped through, racing past the questionably gaudy fountain and around the next corner, swiping a MP11 Red Dot Sight from a corpse that he kicked unceremoniously out of the way.

It went awfully silent for a moment as soon as Ilona and Mitchell rendezvoused beside a giant red door that lead down another open pathway.

There was yet another loud echo and the ground shook once again, this time the shockwave strong enough to almost forcibly shake both Mitchell's and Ilona's bodies.

“Mitchell, open the door! KVA reinforcements are on their way!”

“Yeah, no thank you.” Mitchell yanked the metal gate clean off it’s hinges and threw it clear across the floor. If only Gideon could see him now.

“All stations be advised, Hades Convoy is southbound!”

They raced up the stairs into another building, Mitchell almost slipping on the marbled surface.

“We have contact at the bell tower on—AUGH!”

Mitchell froze.

“Torres—can you repeat?” Prophet asked.

“Man down! Man down! Sniper in the bell tower!”

Just then, a hole the size of a tennis ball burst through the door Ilona was beside and fuck that was what that weird echoing shit was!

“Damn! Sniper’s got a bead on us! Throw smoke!”

Mitchell prayed for his head to stay where it was as he edged towards the door.

“Let’s move! Smoke won’t last forever!”

Ilona burst through the door and Mitchell followed her across the patio and they raced down the stairs. She slapped her hand against his back.

“Jump across, I’ll cover!”

Mitchell leapt across towards the open glass window without so much as a hesitation. He landed smoothly (for once) amongst glass shards and rolled across the patterned floor, Ilona close behind. She was up before him, already helping civilians out of the way though some became victim to the sniper—guts and other organs painting the walls.

“Get down!” Ilona yelled. “Stay away from the windows! Everyone stay away from the windows!” She helped a woman to safety before running to the end of the corridor.

“Shit that’s a lot of open ground. You want to run first, or suppress fire?”

Mitchell thought about it briefly before deciding the latter. He edged towards the shattered window, crouching so that he was only half visible. He then toggled the hybrid on his gun and shot repeatedly in the direction of the sniper, the light shining off the enemy's gun keeping Mitchell blind to him.

“Keep that sniper buttoned up!”

When no more shots came, he took the second of downtime to leap out the window, a bullet slicing through the air right beside his knee.

“Go go go!”

He sprinted across the open space, Ilona close beside him and they both slid behind a pillar.

With a cursory glance down, Ilona motioned for Mitchell to come towards her. “Come on, the sniper can’t hit us on the street below.”

They leapt over the mini wall and landed hard on the street below after sliding off a tented roof.

“KVA drones! Take cover!”

Mitchell slid into a covered area before cycling two grenades and hauling them in the general direction of the drones. They plummeted to the floor with a loud crash, bits of hardware scattering everywhere.

“Drones are down!” Ilona shouted, already running down the street. “Keep pushing toward that sniper!”

There was a loud, horrifying scream only meters away from their position when a bullet sliced right in front of Mitchell, forcing him to leap back and jump on a wall, crushing flower pots as he ran across it before diving off the other side.

“Into the restaurant!”

The restaurant didn’t do much for cover as most of it was made out of glass, each time the bullets hurtling through narrowly missing Mitchell.

“Through the lobby!” They raced through a thankfully more closed off area before Ilona faltered. “Prophet, have eyes on Torres, he’s been hit!”

“Copy that Bravo, requesting a medic.”

“Find Rivers—” Torres ground out, coughing hard. “—has the stinger!”

“Shit! We need that stinger!” Ilona looked at Mitchell over her shoulder. “Let’s move!”

They walked up a few stairs before reaching a gaping doorway. “There’s Rivers—second floor! We need that stinger! I’ll cover you, go!”

Mitchell crouched low, racing out the door and throwing a cycled grenade, the advancing drones stopping cold turkey and falling to the floor.

“Drones are down! Grab that stinger!”

Mitchell zipped across the open lot, racing up a flight of stairs before diving flat onto his stomach to avoid being ripped to shreds. Once up, he ran across the patio where the Stinger M7 was laying. He went  prone to grab the thing without losing his head. When he finally got his hands on it, he hauled himself back, lifting the weapon and firing in the sniper’s direction. The whole tower exploded rapidly and Mitchell raced back down the stairs to Ilona.

“Got him. Fuck that guy.”

“Bravo, Hades’ convoy is four mikes to the X.”

“Copy that. Bravo is moving to the X. Mitchell, let’s go!”

The city was in tatters now, bits of buildings falling everywhere and dead bodies lining the broken streets.

“Give me a hand, Mitchell.”

He hurried to Ilona’s side by a van, slamming his hands against it and pushing—hard. It moved, but not far enough so Mitchell backed up before slamming his foot into the vehicle, shoving it finally out of the way.

“Bravo, Hades convoy is two mikes out.”

“Copy that, moving to intercept!”

They ran down the narrow street before leaping off a balcony and landing hard below.

“There! We can set up an ambush down there!”

“Bravo! Hades inbound!”

Mitchell raised his gun in a ‘shoo shoo’ motion, trying to clear the streets of screaming and flailing citizens.

“Copy that, Mitchell, set the charges!”

“Setting charges.” Mitchell knelt down and pressed the device into the broken asphalt. He hurried to take cover behind a thick blood stained wall before crouching and waiting for Ilona’s signal.

“Now!”

He slammed his thumb on the button, watching the first car slide past at an alarming rate and the passengers of the next fly over the roof of the car as it heaved and tumbled, and hit the floor.

“Bravo!” Gideon yelled. “Do not let up! Get Hades at any cost!”

Mitchell nodded to nobody and began shooting the survivors, Ilona coming from the right as he did the left, clearing the road.

“Push forward! We need to contain the scene!”

Mitchell lifted his gun about to shoot before something slammed against his side. The pain was agonizing, shooting up his left side and wet hot liquid soaking his clothing.

“Fuck!” He pressed an arm to the wound, feeling around.

“Mitchell! Are you okay?”

“Fine,” He answered, a little breathlessly. The man who had shot him was hiding atop a balcony and Mitchell threw a grenade there, detonating it before it hit the ground. “Asshole.”

He ran down the street, pushing past dead KVA soldiers trying to reach Ilona’s side. He heard one of the soldiers yell loudly over the commotion.

“We need a medic!”

“I will kill your medic!” Mitchell yelled, throwing a lethal grenade in their general direction. He leapt over a balcony and ran towards another gaudy fountain where he saw Ilona crouching.

“Got eyes on Hades’ truck! We’re almost there!” She yelled at him, motioning him over.

After more shooting an excessive grenade throwing, the street was finally clear and Mitchell rolled out from behind a ruined truck.

“Clear!” Ilona yelled. “Streets are clear! Prophet, we are moving on Hades!”

“Roger that! Be advised, more KVA inbound.”

 _How many soldiers does the KVA have!_ Mitchell thought desperately, pressing his hand against the wound at his side to keep the bleeding at bay.

“Hurry Mitchell! I’ll cover!”

Mitchell dashed to the upturned car and yanked the door off, unceremoniously grabbing and dragging Hades out of the seat.

“Mitchell!” Ilona shouted, waving her arm frantically. “Look out!”

Mitchell hadn’t time to get out of the path of the car zooming towards him and it slammed against his midsection, locking him between the bonnet and a wall that was close to crumbling. He let out a pained cry, hands slamming down on the bonnet as he tried to push himself free. He thought he heard Gideon’s panicked voice over the comm but resting his throbbing forehead against the bonnet seemed like a really good idea right about now, so he wasn't listening.

Ilona shot the two people in the car, racing to Mitchell’s side.

“Mitchell!” She was about to start pulling but then Hades grabbed her shoulder and hauled her back, yanking her gun from her grip and throwing it far away. She was quick though, and redirected his fist to the side, slamming the edge of her hand right between his ribs. The man grunted but twisted in Ilona’s iron grip, ploughing his other fist into her face a couple times before she released him and stumbled back, hitting the corner of a wall. She leapt forward again, both hands slamming against Hades’ chest but he redirected another of her hits, her fist smashing loudly against the bonnet of the car. The gun that had previously been out of reach bounced forward and Mitchell desperately reached for it. Hades’ threw Ilona against the car, his heavy boot slamming against her chest and she bounced against the hard metal, her hands lifted in an attempt to block any more attacks and the gun was now no longer in sight. Hades went to punch Ilona again but she evaded smoothly and Hades reeled forward. Mitchell grabbed him, lifting his prosthetic arm before Hades had a chance to knife his face. With the sharp object sheathed within the robotic replacement, Mitchell punched Hades face and yanked the knife out a second later, arcing his arm and slicing Hades’ throat.

The blood splattered and Hades howled and gargled, hands flying up feebly to stop the blood as he staggered. When he’d fallen, Ilona hauled herself up and limped towards Mitchell.

“Thanks for that,” She managed, leaning forward and placing both hands on the vehicle. “Alright, let’s get you out of here.” They pushed and the car eased away, Mitchell’s feet touching down on the floor. He nursed his midsection as he hobbled towards Hades’ prone body. Ilona turned him around with her foot and peered at his face. Mitchell did the same, outstretching his hands to turn the man’s face around so that he could I.D. him.

“I.D. is confirmed—Hades is EKIA. I send again—Hades is EKIA.”

Mitchell looked up at Ilona and was about to stand himself when Hades opened his eyes and grabbed him, nearly pulling an unflattering squawk from his lips.

Mitchell supported the man’s head and he coughed, hand falling from Mitchell’s arm.

“He—” He rasped. “Knows. Irons—knows.”

Mitchell opened his hand when Hades lifted his, dropping an object much like a hard drive into Mitchell’s palm. He then went silent and Mitchell checked for a pulse.

“He’s dead.” Jack handed the hard drive over to Ilona who looked at him quizzically, clutching her side with her other hand.

“What does Irons know?”

*

Mitchell was pretty excited when they touched down where Gideon’s group was waiting to climb onto the chopper. He smiled slightly and nodded at Gideon who looked over at him when he’d gotten on, grabbing a few bags and shoving them in a corner with the rest. Gideon came and plonked down next to him, leaning his head back against the seat and swung an arm around Mitchell’s shoulder, hand slapping against Mitchell’s head. The private rolled his eyes.

“Glad to see you made it through, mate.” Gideon said, his voice tired.

“You too old man.” Mitchell replied, nudging Gideon lightly in the side just incase his captain was harbouring a side wound like everyone else today. Gideon delivered a skilled thwack to the back of the private’s head with his hand without having to exert any other body part and Mitchell laughed.

 

The rest of the ride home was long and uneventful, the sun beginning to set below the thick clouds when they finally touched down at HQ. Ilona was quiet and her face was tense. She walked away without so much as a word to the rest of the team, even when Joker said drinks tonight were on him.

“What happened?” Joker asked, leaning an elbow on Mitchell’s shoulder. Jack shrugged even though he knew she was probably thinking about the hard drive and wanted to mull it over in silence—silence being the key.

Later that evening, Joker, Gideon and Mitchell holed up in Gideon’s room, the doors to the small balcony wide open, airing out the room from the hot day. Ilona didn’t turn up at all but a few other soldiers came upon hearing about the free drinks.

“I’m gonna be broke ‘cause of you lot.” Joker complained.

“Shouldn’t offer free drinks then, mate.” Gideon chuckled, picking up a second bottle and then heading out onto the balcony where Mitchell was sitting.

The captain leant against the railing and took a swig of his drink.

“That’s a sight to see.” He said and Mitchell snorted.

“What, the assortment of tanks littered around or the not so subtly coloured jets by the helipads.”

Gideon laughed and sighed, rubbing the beer bottle between his palms.

“Torres was a good guy.” He said suddenly and Mitchell looked up. Gideon had turned his back to him and was looking out over the horizon. Mitchell exhaled heavily.

“Yeah. He was.” Mitchell hesitated a moment before continuing. “You almost died today, too.”

Gideon paused mid-drink, looked over at Mitchell and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah—but I didn’t.” He shrugged, taking another sip of his beer like he didn’t give a damn and he probably didn’t. In all likelihood, it probably didn’t plague Gideon that he had almost died. It was just Mitchell letting his feelings get in the way of everything, even his logic sometimes. Gideon didn’t care that he had been hurt or almost killed—he cared about the fact that members of his team had died on his watch and he couldn’t save them. Mitchell looked down at his hands, his prosthetic thumb tapping against the bottle. Gideon could have died today, but he didn’t. Mitchell himself could have been shot by the sniper, but he wasn’t. Ilona could’ve lost against Hades, but she hadn’t. If he didn’t want Gideon finding out about his high school boy-crush, he’d better play it cool and stop freaking over every little thing that involved his captain. Or better, let it go altogether. That was the smarter thing to do, he knew. The truth is, though, he had been really scared when that building had exploded with Gideon still inside, and these near death experiences were most likely going to continue to happen. He wasn’t sure his heart could handle it.

Jack didn’t realise he was staring at the side of Gideon’s arm where it was patched up because of a burn wound, slight red seeping through the bandages, until Gideon called his name.

“Mitchell.”

Jack looked up. “Yeah?”

“What’s this really about?”

“What?”

“You know.”

“I do?”

“Yeah.”

“...”

“...”

“...What?”

“Oh my fucking god.” Gideon rolled his eyes and took another sip of his beer.

“Potty mouth.”

“Pussy.”

Mitchell nearly choked on his next sip, wiping the back of his hand along his lips before laughing loudly.

“That’s better.”

Mitchell looked at Gideon who was now walking towards him. “Hm?”

“It’s better when your laughing like an idiot than moping like one.” Mitchell would’ve protested colourfully, but the fondness in Gideon’s voice halted all speech (and thought).

Gideon tapped the top of Mitchell’s head with the bottom of his beer bottle before disappearing back into the room.


	3. Utopia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter but packed full of feeeeeeels and we all know why. Goddamn it Gideon.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> [Oh and I was listening to: Losing You by Aquilo a LOT whilst writing this]

**Chapter Three**

New Baghdad, Iraq

November 9th, 2059

1630 HRS

* * *

“ _At last, time ran out for Joseph Chkheidze, better known as “Hades”—leader of the KVA and mastermind behind the devastating attacks of four years ago. We recently spoke with Jonathan Irons, founder and CEO of Atlas International military corporation responsible for hunting down and killing Hades._ ”

*

Mitchell leaned his head to one side, feeling it crack silently, very aware of Gideon’s presence on his right. He then rolled his shoulders, his body still sore from training the previous day. He straightened when he saw Irons and a reporter walk through the lobby.

“Congratulations, you’ve achieved what no government was able to.” She was saying.

“Thank you Wendy,” Irons said. “But the real heroes of the day are the men and women of Atlas.”

They were right in front of Gideon and Mitchell now. Irons slapped his hand against Mitchell’s shoulder, giving him an encouraging nod whilst still talking to the woman—Wendy—at his side. “I couldn’t be prouder of what they accomplished out there this week.”

Mitchell bobbed his head briefly as did Gideon, though his was much more subtle.

“There are rumours that the U.N. will offer you a seat on the Security Council.” Wendy began, her squeaky voice grating on Mitchell’s ears somewhat. “Can a life in politics be far behind?”

“Well,” Irons said as the elevator doors opened. “I like to get things done so, no. But look at what we’ve done in New Baghdad. Forty years ago we pulled out of Iraq with that place in ruins and our tail between our legs—and now, it’s a testament to what happens when you put efficiency before bureaucracy.”

They stepped into the elevator, leaving Mitchell and Gideon in the lobby.

“The last four years have been huge for you,” Wendy said. “In the wake of the KVA attacks, Atlas has become the world’s biggest corporation. And you now preside over the world’s largest standing military. So what’s next for Jonathan Irons?”

*

 

“How does it feel to be the hero of the world?” Gideon asked with a smirk once the elevator had come back up empty. He slapped Mitchell’s shoulder with his hand. “Don’t let it go to your—”

“Gideon, Mitchell,” It was Ilona speaking through the comm. “I need to see you. Right now.”

Mitchell looked at Gideon quizzically, but Gideon had the same expression.

“Ilona? What is it?”

“Meet me in maintenance room 6A,” She ordered. “Don’t bring anyone else.”

“Alright, we’re moving.” Gideon said after a moment, giving Jack a look. “Let’s find out what the hell she wants.”

Jack followed Gideon down the hallway, passing exosuits that were behind glass windows. Gideon lead them out of the sliding double doors to the courtyard, making a beeline for the maintenance center.

“Hard to believe this is Baghdad,” He said. “Two years ago, you couldn’t step outside without getting shot. Now it’s fucking thriving—thanks to us.”

Once in the building, they headed down a flight of stairs. Gideon slowed his pace slightly so that Mitchell was right beside him.

“Echo team took down another KVA cell yesterday. The whole network’s unraveling. Hades was the key.”

They sauntered down another two flights of stairs.

“The world, my friend, is running out of bad guys.” Gideon said. “You might be looking at an early retirement.”

“Wouldn’t mind,” Mitchell said honestly, making Gideon turn to regard him with a ‘do elaborate’ look. “It would be nice to settle down, when the world isn’t, you know, being ripped apart by war.”

“Settle down?”

“Yeah—like with a family?”

“I know what it means,” Gideon said, mock punching Mitchell’s shoulder. “I just don’t know why you’d want that. Boring.”

Mitchell shrugged. “It would be nice not to die alone you know. Don’t you ever think about finding someone you’d want to start a family with?”

Gideon was silent for the rest of the five steps to the Maintenance 6A door and Mitchell gave an exaggerated sigh.

“I thought we were bonding.”

“This is it,” Gideon announced. Mitchell frowned as the captain shon a beam of light on a scanner by the door, evidently unlocking it.

Ilona was waiting impatiently inside. As soon as she saw them, she walked forwards and Mitchell was concerned by the look on her face.

“Did you tell anyone you were coming?” She asked.

“No,” Gideon began. “So what’s—”

“The scrambler will only buy us a few minutes.” She interrupted. “Sync to my HUD. I have to show you something.”

“What the bloody hell’s going on?” Gideon demanded though he was syncing with Ilona anyway.

“Just watch this.” A hologram appeared in front of them. “That’s Irons with the technologist you saved.”

“The guy we pulled out of the river?”

Ilona nodded. “He never made it back to Nigeria.”

Mitchell’s eyes widened a fraction in confusion and he looked at Ilona.

“What do you mean?”

Instead of answering, Ilona played the hologram.

“ _The KVA are planning an attack...they told me everything_.” The technologist said.

“ _What kind of attack?_ ” Irons asked.

“ _Power plants,_ ” The man said desperately. “ _All over the world. They wanted me to compromise the security systems_.”

“ _Where are they planning on hitting?_ ”

Mitchell’s eyes flicked up as he watched Gideon circle the hologram, his eyebrows pulled together as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

“ _Seattle, Paris, Tokyo...thousands will die! We have to tell someone._ ”

“ _No_ ,” Irons said. “ _We have to tell everyone!_ ” Irons stood and Mitchell stared in disbelief as Irons walked behind the man and pulled out a gun. " _It’s okay, It’s alright. I’m going to take care of this right now._ ”

He then shot him.

He _shot him_.

“Fuck me—”

“He knew it. He knew and he let it happen. All those people dead and he fucking _profited_ from it!” Ilona was angry, her voice more strained than Mitchell had ever heard it.

“Where did you get this?”

“Hades. His last act before he died was giving us this.”

“How do you know it’s not fake?”

“It was coded and encrypted in our own algorithm! It’s from Atlas. No one has seen this but us.” The image faded and Mitchell felt sick. “We need to get out of here! Now!”

They were walking towards the door before a loud bang went off and the room was flooded in white light. Mitchell was thrust backwards and when he was able to see again, he got a face full of Atlas police, reaching over and grabbing at him. Mitchell batted the man's hands away but he was shoved onto the floor and held at gunpoint. Ilona was forced to her knees and she held up her hands. Mitchell, as a last ditch attempt, grabbed a gun and held it towards the traitor that was walking into the room. But the gun was slammed from his hand by another gun, which then resumed pointing at his head.

Irons walked forwards so he was in front of Mitchell.

Jack looked desperately at Gideon who met his gaze. He knew Gideon understood what he was trying to tell him.

_Jump—leap—do something! Get him!_

But Gideon did nothing and Mitchell felt his heart heave in his chest.

“We saw it. We saw everything.” Ilona muttered, raising upwards.

“You saw what?” Irons drawled.

“You knew about the attacks. All those innocent people—dead!”

“You saw a forged recording from a _terrorist_.”

“You’re insane!” Ilona shouted. “You’re a monster!”

“I’m disappointed in you.” Irons said, ignoring Ilona and stepping forward so he was in front of Mitchel, staring down at him. “You could’ve had everything." He looked back at the guards after a moment. "Hold them here until the reporters leave.” He turned and Mitchell followed his gaze to his captain. “Gideon?”

“Yes sir.”

Mitchell’s mouth fell slack and his voice died out in his throat.

“Gideon!” Ilona yelled, staring at the man in disbelief. “You know what you saw!”

Gideon was silent for a long moment and Mitchell looked at his face, trying desperately to meet his eyes—to find a way to somehow change his mind—but the expression on Gideon’s face was something he’d never seen before, something he didn't understand. Gideon didn’t meet his gaze at all as he crossed the small distance between himself and Irons, but to Mitchell it was like he was being slammed in his chest with every step Gideon took.

“He said it was a fake.”

“He’s made his decision.” Irons said.

As the two men turned to leave, Gideon finally met his gaze. Mitchell’s eyes were wide and hurt—betrayed, his heart  banging inside of his ribcage so loud he was sure the Atlas soldier above him could hear it.

“Gideon please—” Mitchell watched as Gideon turned his back on them and began walking out of the room with Irons ahead of him. “Gideon! Gideon what the fuck!” Mitchell yelled miserably, trying to stand up but being roughly shoved back by the Atlas officer. “GIDEON!”

The door closed a moment later and he was gone, leaving Mitchell and Ilona alone with the two officers.

Mitchell stared at the door for a full thirty seconds in anguish before turning his gaze to the officer looming over him. 

“Stay where you are.”

Mitchell was about to reply to that with excessive swearing before a voice cracked over his comm, startling him.

“Listen,” It said. “We’ve hacked into your exo system. I need you to trust me. In three seconds, the fire suppression system will be activated. Get ready to run.”

Mitchell felt his legs tense and he pressed his palms to the floor, ready to leap.

Even though he knew it was coming, it still gave Mitchell a fright when the white air came down from above. The officer yelled, hands lifted and thrashing at nothing. Mitchell took his chance, kicking the man’s feet out from under him and slamming his forearm against his neck when he tried to get up before shoving him roughly out of the way and grabbing his gun.

“We need to get out of here,” Ilona said, grabbing the gun off the other officer. “Now.”

They ran through the blaring red corridor.

“Head towards the elevator,” The voice commanded.

“Who are you?”

“A friend.” It answered. “Just keep moving.”

Mitchell and Ilona slid into a room as doors began sliding down behind them.

“Dead end!”

“Hold on,” The voice said. The other side of the area they were in opened and Mitchell didn’t even know there was a door there. “Start climbing and get to the roof.”

“We’ll have to use our mag grips,” Ilona said, slapping her hands together and hurrying up the metallic wall. Mitchell all but leapt upwards, hands catching against the metal as he dashed forwards.

“They’re going to activate a drone swarm. You’ll only have a few seconds once you’re on the roof.”

“We’ll be trapped up there.” Ilona argued.

“Trust me.”

Finally reaching the top, Mitchell hauled himself over without much trouble, the only thing damaged in all of this was his surprisingly frail heart.

“Swarm!” Ilona yelled. “Run!”

Mitchell ran, trying to keep covered under low bridges as he advanced.

“Over here!” Ilona yelled.

Mitchell had no choice. He ran out in the open, leaping over piping lines and cemented walls. He could hear the drones above him but didn’t make so much as a noise when he got hit at least three times in the back.

He leapt over the last wall and ran across the courtyard.

“I’m overriding the gates.” The voice said. “Get across the roof and jump the rail at the opening.”

“But we’re five stories up!”

“Do it now!”

The gates descended into the ground and Mitchell leaped, landing hard on the glass roof and sliding down. He looked up as Ilona did the same, though she twisted in mid air and shot the incoming enemies and the glass roof.

They dropped into the water below and the cold waves slammed against Mitchell’s vulnerable face. He then propelled his arms, fighting to keep up with Ilona.

“Sewer access is directly ahead of you. Move.”

Mitchell could just see it through the grimy water.

They disappeared within the hole and finally reached the surface. Mitchell dragged in a heaving breath and hurried out of the water, racing up a ladder with Ilona. He went first, lifting the round cap at the top with his hands and sliding it slowly to one side. Light flooded in and they climbed out, guns at the ready.

“So what now?” Ilona asked, hopping over a brick wall.

“You’ll need to get through Old Town. Head towards the docks.”

“They’re going to lock down the entire city to find us.” Ilona muttered, already heading down the alleyway of houses and up and down stairs.

“That’s why you need to move fast.”

Mitchell ignored the yelling from outside and followed Ilona through an open windowed hallway.

“On your knees! Now!”

“They’re rounding up civilians.” The voice said. “We don’t have much time.”

“Through here,” Ilona said, jumping down onto the street with Mitchell close in tow. As they ran across, loud yelling ensued and Ilona growled.

“They’ve seen us, take cover!”

Mitchell raced up the stairs of some building and crouched beside a yellow sofa. A soldier leapt through the window and Mitchell’s arm acted on it’s own, slamming the enemy into the ground.

Mitchell took off again, racing down the corridor. He met Ilona as she jumped over a railing and across another patio and into another house through the open window.

Mitchell was running towards the same window when he saw an Atlas soldier shoot a civilian trying to get to him and he stopped dead in his tracks. He leapt off the building, Ilona calling his name before slamming his fist into the soldier's face and shooting the next three that closed in on him. He glanced guiltily down at the man and for a few seconds, he couldn't hear anything.

“Mitchell! Mitchell! Through the green door Mitchell!” Ilona yelled and Mitchell snapped out of it, racing up the stairs and clearing out the rooms as he went.

“Keep going, you’re running out of time.”

Mitchell swore and hauled himself through a window, landing hard below.

He met with Ilona a few minutes later and they ran together down a narrow alleyway.

“The docks are up ahead,” Ilona said and Mitchell didn’t need to be told twice, he could smell them.

“There’s a boat waiting for you at the end of the docks,” The voice said.

Mitchell slid across the open lot before hiding behind a barrel and throwing a grenade over his head to try and clear out the space.

“AST incoming!”

Mitchell watched the huge machine drop and immediately start after him.

“Fucking hell!” He yelled, fumbling around his belt to grab a grenade. The AST drew in close and Mitchell had to jump over a low wall to escape being smashed to the floor. He ran, taking cover behind sacks before finally grabbing his grenade. He cycled it and then stood, throwing the EMP in the AST’s direction as the machine shot at him. The bullet slammed against his protected chest, propelling him backwards and against some crates that shattered beneath him. When he managed to pull himself up, the AST was down. He ran towards it, continuously shooting it until he ran out of bullets.

“AST is down!”

“The boat’s on the second dock, up ahead!” The voice called, forcing Mitchell and Ilona to turn and sprint across the open area. After crossing a removable bridge, Mitchell jumped into the boat, waiting to hear Ilona enter as well before firing it up and speeding across the water.

“Put on that grapple attachment. You’ll need it later.” The voice told him. “Head down the canal towards the commercial center.”

“We’ve got drones in pursuit!”

Mitchell lead the boat under a low bridge. When they came out the other end, gates were rising from the water, blocking alternative paths.

“Dive under those boats!” Ilona yelled and Mitchell did, forcing the boat under. It popped up out of harms way and Mitchell increased the speed.

“Go faster!” Ilona yelled over the noise.

“I don’t think it goes any faster!” Mitchell yelled back.

“Shit— _duck_!”

Mitchell dunked the boat again, praying it would stay under long enough to avoid scraping against the lowering bridge above. Once they resurfaced, a yacht was heading right for them.

“Holy shit!” Mitchell yelled, yanking the wheel, forcing the boat to veer left and duck down again.

“Almost there, Mitchell! Hurry!”

“Hit the ramp!” The voice instructed. Mitchell did, holding back the grunt when the boat hit the water again, raising him out of his seat.

“Missile lock!” Ilona yelled. “Dive!”

Mitchell drowned the boat again and heard the missile thwack against the water behind him. More followed, forcing Mitchell to dunk the boat and risk disorientation every time he came up somewhere different. There was a Warbird above them moving in and Mitchell dunked the boat again, desperately trying to evade the rain of bullets it fired.

“You’re getting close!” The voice said once they entered a tunnel.

“Close to what?” Ilona demanded.

“You’ll see.”

Once out of the tunnel, all the drones and missiles attacked at once and Mitchell was stuck. He yanked on the wheel and forced the boat to veer right and then under, but bits of rock were falling from above and threatening to crush them both inside the boat. Mitchell yanked one last time before the boat was heaved onto the land and slid full speed into the side of a building (that was thankfully glass).

“Mitchell, Ilona, can you hear me? You’ve got to keep moving.”

Mitchell shoved the cover off and Ilona helped him out. They both leapt of the suspended boat and landed painfully on the floor below, eliciting a agonised groan from both of them.

“Are you alright?” Ilona asked at the same time the voice asked: “Can you move?”

He nodded to both, pushing himself off the floor.

“Copy,” Ilona said. “The boat’s finished, we’re on foot.”

“The extraction point is right above you, top of the building.”

“How’re we supposed to get up there?”

“Use the grapple.”

Mitchell’s eyes shot to the device. Thank god it still seemed functional.

"Mitchell we can grapple over here," Ilona called.

"Coming," Mitchell said, wading his way through the wreckage to Ilona's side. He lifted his arm and shot the grapple.

He was hauled upwards and for a moment he was incredibly off balance and almost fell off the railing he was flailing to grab.

Once he managed to get a firm grip on the rail, he hauled himself over and shot up again, this time prepared.

"Keep moving up," Ilona instructed, moments behind him.

Mitchell continued up until he reached a bridge like area.

"Contact!" Ilona yelled. "Get to cover!"

Mitchell pulled himself over the railing and rolled to safety, taking cover behind potted plants and thick low walls.

"Watch those containers!" Ilona called.

Sure enough a container that Mitchell hadn't seen veered past him and he jumped back out of range. He had to wait a minute before dodging past four more large containers and reaching the other side.

"You're almost there!" The voice said. "Just grapple up that tower."

"Keep heading up."

Mitchell grappled upwards, taking perch on the edge of the tower.

"Grapple up that ledge," the voice instructed.

They grappled up again, this time coming to a stop between a metallic gate and the glass tower.

"We'll have to use our mag grips," Ilona said, already getting ready to climb.

Mitchell did the same, his back aching something chronic from the movement.

Once at the top, Ilona lead the way across a rather dangerous and unstable looking ramp that circled the building.

"Get onto the skybridge." The voice said. Mitchell and Ilona used their grapples to reach the bridge.

"Drop down and cross the skybridge."

Mitchell tried to lower himself carefully onto the glass covered bridge, but the shards broke anyway and he dropped through.

"There! I see movement!" Was Mitchell's only warning before a bullet slammed against his protected chest. He edged backwards slightly but recovered quickly, shooting the threat.

"Get to that crane and get across it!" 

Mitchell paused beneath the imposing machine and took a deep breath, leaping the rest of the distance to the crane, his mag grips preventing him from falling to a messy death. He edged across the crane, Ilona right behind him, feet dangling uselessly below them.

When they were close to a medium sized tower, they stopped.

"Jump Mitchell!"

Mitchell propelled himself as best he could forwards onto the tower, but his grip couldn't hold him and he slid down the metal. He dug his foot into the tower before letting go and jumping the rest of the way. He hit the floor hard and rolled onto his knees, hauling himself up in one swift movement.

He heard strange noises in front of him and backed up slightly, eyeing the empty air cautiously.

Suddenly, soldiers appeared in front of him and Ilona and he lifted his gun automatically.

"Cormack?" Mitchell mouthed incredulously.

"You remember your old sergeant don't you? Let's get you out of here."

As the group began walking towards the chopper, a warbird zoomed in overhead.

"Warbird!"

It landed in front of them, not all that far away and Mitchell felt his heart lurch in his chest.

Joker and Gideon jumped out of the warbird, Joker pointing a gun in Ilona and Cormack's direction.

"What's the play boss?"

"Hey what the fuck are you doing?" Mitchell ground out, stepping beside Ilona.

"Stand down," Gideon said to Joker who gave him a look before doing so and straightening up.

Gideon pointed a finger at Ilona. "If you're wrong about Irons, I'll hunt you down myself."

"I'm not wrong."

" _Atlas-one what's your status_?"

There was a hesitation before Gideon lifted his hand and replied to the comm.

"Roof is clear," he said. "No sign of them."

Mitchell glared at Gideon who still refused to meet his gaze.

"Alright," Cormack began. "Inside, now."

Mitchell paused mid-walk and turned to face Gideon. His expression was unreadable though his shoulders were tense.

Jack felt anger rush through his body and his arm acted on its own. His fist connected hard with Gideon's jaw and it sent the surprised captain backwards.

"Mitchell!" Ilona called, about to walk out of the chopper but was stopped by Cormack's outstretched arm.

Without looking back, Mitchell got onto the chopper and didn't turn around as the doors closed behind him.


	4. Sentinel

**Chapter Four**

Undisclosed Location

January 3rd, 2060

0100 HRS

* * *

“You’ve got questions. It’s time for some answers. Until now we’ve stayed in the shadows. Watching. Waiting. We were formed four years ago. A U.S. led, multinational unit codename Sentinel. Our mission: to investigate the KVA attacks, and prevent anything like that from happening again. But soon it became clear that there was an even greater threat. A man ready to exploit this tragedy for his own gain. After the attacks, Atlas rose to new heights. They took over security for ports, shipping lanes, pipelines—nation after nation, handed over their most critical infrastructure to Jonathan Irons. We realised too late, he was surrounding us. And now in the last ten days, ISA chatter has surged. One word keeps getting flagged: Manticore. Atlas is about to make a move. But we don’t know what. It was a risk extracting you, but you’re our best shot. But you’re our best shot to find out what Manticore is and stop it. So how about it Mitchell—are you in?”

*

Mitchell sat down on the floor and rubbed a hand over his face. He was tired and everything was hurting ten times more than usual. What happened three months ago was still fresh in Mitchell’s mind and he’d continued to lose sleep over it. Sure he knew Gideon probably didn’t care about him in that way—which was _fine_ , he could live with that—but he’d thought they’d at least been _friends_. Obviously, he was wrong.

Every day he felt a dull ache in his chest from no longer having Gideon around. It was demoralising.

He let out a long, tired sigh before he heard Ilona coming in, her footsteps light and controlled.

"Mitchell?" She looked down at him, something akin to sympathy in her eyes. He glanced up at her and he hoped that he didn’t look as pathetic as he felt, but the small smile she gave him told him that he did. Instead of sitting down beside him, she outstretched her hand. “C’mon,” She said. “Get up.”

Mitchell took her hand and held it tight. “I know you’re mad,” She said, pulling him up. “But—”

The door towards the end of the corridor opened and Ilona turned to look at who was entering.

“Here he comes. Time to find out what we signed up for.”

“It’s good to have you back in the fold,” Cormack said, nodding to Mitchell who weakly returned the gesture. “Wish it were under better circumstances.”

“We’ll be up against our old teammates. People we trained with—fought with.”

Mitchell thought back to Joker and how he’d pointed his gun at Ilona—the way Gideon had looked at him without emotion, the way he looked at every other enemy he fought. It had hurt. More than Jack thought it would.

He’d punched Gideon square in the jaw, too. The thought made his stomach churn and he felt miserable all over again.

Cormack nodded solemnly. “I know this is difficult, but I need you to move past that. This...this is bigger than any of us.”

The three of them walked down the tarmaced landing strip towards a cluster of a few other people. Mitchell hung back when they arrived, directing his gaze to something uninteresting on the floor.

“Team,” Cormack said. “We have the green light for operation Lone Wolf. Thanks to the intel from Mitchell, we know that Irons will be travelling to his private estate for a high level meeting. I’ll be leading the insertion team, and SEAL teams will be on standby for exfil.” There were a few murmurs of agreement. “Irons is priority number 1. We infiltrate his home and we gather intel on his next move. Let’s get it done.”

**  
  
**

*

The night air was crisp and unusually warm for January, but Mitchell was enjoying it. He was already cold crouching behind the chilly spray of the waterfall.

“Knox,” Cormack began. “How’s it going?”

“Almost done patching into the drone network.” Knox answered. There was a long moment of silence before Knox spoke again, his fingers tapping away diligently on his tablet. “I’m in. The drone patrols are switching out; clock is ticking.”

“Kingpin,” Cormack started. “We are at the front door.”

“Copy. You’re clear to knock.”

“Ready hooks.”

Mitchell stood up, leaning back to stretch his sore back before checking the device on his arm.

“Kingpin, we are proceeding to checkpoint 1.”

“Copy. We have you on the tracker.”

Mitchell stepped through the freezing downpour of the waterfall before shooting his line across to the next cliff.

He pulled himself up and crouched down, walking under the next cliff before shooting again.

“Keep moving,” Cormack said. “Almost there.”

They shot upwards two more times before finally walking through the foliage and stopping before a huge residence.

“Irons’ personal estate.” Cormack said, his voice tight and irate, a common tone associated with talking about Irons.

Ilona snorted in disgust. “So this is what thousands of dead bodies will buy you.”

The team crouched around the mouth of the hole inside the cliff.

“I’ll track down Irons.” Cormack said. “We need to be there when he meets with his contact. Ilona, on me. Let’s move.”

Ilona put a hand on Mitchell’s shoulder before shooting a line with Cormack and zooming out of sight.

“Mitchell,” Knox began. “I’m activating your AR optics.”

“Roger,” Mitchell answered, edging closer to the edge of the hole and peering down.

“Target tracking coming online. Alright, now tag an asset.”

“Right.” Mitchell peered through the excessive amounts of palm trees before spying a group of Atlas soldiers. He aimed his gun at the enemies and they lit up on his scope.

"Optics check out." Knox said. "Syncing your HUD to the drone network. We can track anybody within 500 meters of the estate."

Mitchell nodded, standing.

"Alright Mitchell, get to the security center and patch me into their system."

Mitchell nodded. "Roger that. Thanks Knox."

Mitchell aimed his shooter at a nearby wall filled with plants. He shot the line and hauled himself over the wall.

"Don't move," Knox warned. "Tangos on your left."

He watched them walk towards a door and two disappeared inside, one still wandering the patio.

"Move into those bushes. Let's take care of that last guy."

Mitchell nodded to himself, made his way forward and into the safety of the foliage.

He waited patiently for the man to walk closer before he whistled to get his attention. The soldier's arm twitched against his gun and he turned around, walking slowly and cautiously towards where Mitchell was hiding.

Mitchell shot his line and it wrapped around the man's throat, hauling him into the bushes where Jack snapped his neck.

“Alright Mitchell, security center is in the back; work your way around.”

Mitchell cast a cursory glance around his position and shot his line up onto a nearby wall filled with more plants.

Mitchell slowly made his way through, keeping low and quiet. He tagged a few more people before slipping out of the plants and pulling himself up a wall. He pushed forwards, pulling himself onto a roof that unfortunately happened to be half glass.

“There’s a lot of activity down there.” Knox said. “Stick to the shadows.”

Mitchell looked around at a bit at a loss of how to get out of this one before he spied another building that seemed more closed off.

He shot towards it, leaping over the railing silently and moving along, through chairs and large umbrellas. He spied a drone and quickly pulled himself into foliage again, making his way through the leaves and out the other side. He had no choice but to shoot his line back towards another partially glass roof before he could shoot his next to the roof of the security center. When he landed, he could hear the civilians below him, talking about something or another that Mitchell couldn’t quite hear.

He shot his line again, landing safely on the roof and hurrying over to the vent.

“Drone! Hide, don’t engage.”

Mitchell dropped to the floor and stayed completely still as the drone buzzed around above him before finally zooming away.

Mitchell let out a heavy breath he didn’t know he had been holding before edging his way over to the opening and planting the micro-EMP. He readied it beside the breach point, waiting for Knox’s mark and turning it. It beeped rapidly a few times before there was a surge and Mitchell could pry the doors open with his hands.

He dropped in, racing towards the desk in the room to his right.

“Security system will only be down a couple minutes. Don’t waste time down there.”

“Roger that,” Mitchell answered once he reached the desk.

“Time to see if the print we got was worth the price. Uploading prints to your suit.”

Mitchell watched the pads on his palm and fingers shift before he placed his hand on the table.

The computer welcomed him and access was granted.

“I’m in. Ok, I’ve got full control of their cameras. Good job. Alright, get out of there. Drone’s are back online.”

Mitchell hurried back the way he’d come and shot his line through the gap in the roof, shortly being tugged out after it.

“Hurry Mitchell. Cormack, we’re all patched in.”

“Nice work. Mitchell, regroup with me at Irons’ office. Ilona, you’ve got overwatch.”

“Copy. Mitchell, proceed to the front yard, stick to the shadows.”

Mitchell hurried back the way he had come until he reached the parking lot. He stayed low, waiting for the soldiers to pass before shooting his line towards another plant infested wall. He ducked down, trudging his way towards the building where Irons office was. He heard drones overhead and stopped, pressing against the wall and breathing quietly. Two passed undisturbed but one hung back and did a three-sixty swivel. Mitchell thought for sure it would catch him, but the drone made a clicking noise and left and no more drones came that way again.

He pushed forward, pausing beneath part of the building that was concave. He backed up so that he could see the ledge and shot upwards, landing straight into a pool.

Mitchell pushed upwards and sputtered, looking around himself in disbelief. Great, so now he was tired, pissed _and_ wet.

He waded through the water and shot his line up again, finally reaching the balcony. He hurried across it and into the room in time to see Cormack shove a soldier through the large double doors. Cormack shot his line to grab the Atlas soldier before hauling him back and punching him square in the face.

“Nice and clean out there Mitchell.” Cormack said. “Knox, we’re inside. Have you found Irons?”

“Negative.” Knox replied.

“There’s his desk, get started.”

Mitchell trotted forward and turned on the machine. He placed the hard drive in the right corner and began swiping through the files, occasionally swiping them into the hard drive if they were important.

“Found something.” Cormack muttered. “Knox, we’ve got the meeting itinerary. It’s in the hangar. Happening soon.”

“The hangar’s sealed up tight. Not gonna be easy getting in.” There was a short silence.

The desk started beeping ominously and Mitchell backed up, taking the hard drive.

“Damn it. Knox, we have a situation. We’ve been locked out of the system.”

“I see it,” Knox replied. “They’ve sent out a full alert, patrols are headed your way. You gotta get out of there.” Mitchell pulled out his gun and reloaded it, relishing the sound of the click. “There’s a convoy incoming; northwest entrance, ETA 30 seconds.”

“Mitchell move it, we can’t miss that convoy. It’s our ticket to the hangar."

“Copy that.”

They began running down the hallway but stopped short when two soldiers came through the doors on their left.

Mitchell took them out swiftly, Cormack working on the elevator door up ahead. They jumped and scaled down the elevator shaft, shooting the next threats that entered from the right.

“There’s the convoy,” Cormack said as they raced down the hallway to an open door. “Knox, we need to get into position. Hijack the intercom and stall the convoy.”

“Roger.”

“Mitchell, follow me.”

Cormack took out the light and they hung low in the doorway, and then it was a waiting game.

The convoy drove past and skidded to a noisy stop.

“ _Hello_.” Mitchell recognised the sound of Knox’s voice. “ _State your name and all the passengers._ ”

“Now,” Cormack said and they slid out then went prone under the car, grabbing on.

“Yes hello,” The driver said. “Ted Bock driving and the passenger is Dr. Bellamy. Here to see Mr. Irons.”

“ _One moment._ ”

“In position Knox,” Cormack said over the comm.

“ _Okay, you’re all clear. Mr. Irons is waiting. Have a good night._ ”

“Bellamy? Knox run that name.”

“Already on it. Bellamy is an alias for Dr. Pierre Danois.”

“The KVA doctor? Ilona, I thought he was rotting in an Atlas cell.”

“So did I.” She answered.

Cormack sighed. “Knox, get all this to command. I want to know what the hell Danois is doing here.”

“Copy that.”

“Dr. Bellamy,” A soldier began as soon as Danois got of the truck, Mitchell seeing his feet touch the floor and suppressing a severe urge to trip him. “There has been a security breach.”

“What?” The doctor answered. “What’s going on?”

“Please, sir, Mr. Irons is this way.”

“Are we safe? Who is it?”

“Ready…” Cormack began. “Now.”

They rolled out and up, shooting lines to get above the floor.

It was a massive warehouse and it smelt like metal and  sweat.

Cormack and Mitchell dropped down to an open platform and Mitchell closed in on the railing, peering through.

“Okay Knox,” Cormack said. “I’m opening up the channel.”

“Confirmed. Ready to receive.”

“Mitchell, record the meeting.”

Mitchell went prone and edged his way closer, taking out the tech and and recording the message.

“ _As long as the hazard class, ID number and packaging groups match up, there should be no problem._ ” The doctor said. Irons came into view and Mitchell grimaced.

“ _We’ll have a very serious problem if our intruders discover the contents of this container, doctor._ ”

“ _We are moving as fast as we can! Manticore is thermally unstable and highly volatile._ ”

“ _Your concern for our safety is touching._ ” Irons said, his voice clipped and irate.

“ _I will have failed to deliver on my promise if your goals are compromised by premature exposure.”_

 _“Oh don’t worry Danois. Your money is already in the bank. We’ll handle everything else from here on out_.”

Mitchell watched them leave and then turned his eyes on the container that was moving upwards on a platform.

“That cargo must be Manticore.” Cormack said. “We need to find out where it’s going.”

Mitchell pulled back the device and stood.

“Mitchell, on me.”

Cormack shot his line and hurtled upwards, Mitchell close behind him.

“Knox, we’re going after the cargo.”

“Cormack the cargo is loaded on the plane—you’re not going to make it.”

“Have the exfil team ready at rally point Delta.”

They raced up a flight of metallic stairs and Cormack burst through the double doors at the top.

“Drop ‘em quick!” He ordered and they cleared out the area fast, Mitchell leaving a few with just a punch to the face as he raced up the stairs towards the plane that was turning and starting to move.

“Run Mitchell! We can reach it! Get your grapple ready!”

Mitchell ran as fast as he possibly could, sidestepping dozens of crates before he could get a clear shot to zipline himself to the underside of the plane’s wing.

The plane lifted up and Mitchell shot his line and leapt. He was hauled up and slammed against the underside of the wing, knocking the breath from his lips in a pained grunt. Cormack showed up beside him a moment later. He handed Mitchell a triangular object.

“Tracker!” He yelled over the wind. Mitchell nodded and activated it, slamming it on the wing and watching it adjust and hold on.

“Ready Mitchell?” Cormack yelled.

“Would you believe me if I said no?” He yelled back.

“Detach!”

Mitchell let go and began hurtling towards the ground. He spun around in the air and adapted his position. They fell past the trees and headed right for the river. Mitchell heaved himself upwards and clasped his arms in a cross on his chest and straightened his legs, cutting into the water like a bullet through skin. He flailed a little in the water, blinking when lights came towards him and an air tank was handed to him.

“We got them, Kingpin.”

Mitchell took it gratefully, putting the mouthpiece past his lips and turning the knob at the top, taking a deep breath.

“Okay, bring ‘em home. Good work team. Let’s find out where that plane’s heading.”


	5. Crash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa, two chapters in one day! I felt that because the other one was rather short, I should add this one up sooner rather than later - and this is where our two favourite soldiers meet again! //wink wink nudge nudge// Enjoy!

**Chapter Five**

Antarctica

January 3rd, 2060

1730 HRS

* * *

“Kingpin this is the Sentinel two-three. Tracker has been successfully coupled with the target.”

“Copy that two-three, we’ve got Pandora in the crosshairs now. Projected destination is Rio Gallegos Air Base. If Irons is planning a strike anywhere in the hemisphere, this would represent an ideal staging point. Our only option is to intercept Pandora in international airspace and force a controlled landing. Coordinates for mid-air rendezvous to follow.”

“Roger that. I’ve got a team suiting up now.”

“It’s a big step Cormack. You’ll be hitting Atlas directly. No more working from the shadows.”

*

Mitchell tried to breath normally, but his heart was thumping hard in his chest. He didn’t really know why since he wasn’t afraid of heights per se, but the feeling was there—something raw and uncomfortable labouring his breaths.

There was a blip and Mitchell heard Cormack over the comm. “This is Sentinel two-three on final approach.”

“Copy all, Sentinel two-three. Your primary objective is the cargo. All other assets are expendable.”

The word brought memories of happenings many months ago rushing back into Mitchell’s mind. Mitchell and Gideon working together—Mitchell’s ‘expendable arm’ joke. He sighed and closed his eyes momentarily.

“Affirmative, Kingpin. We will rendezvous with Guardian 5 at the drop point and secure the cargo. Sentinel two-three out.”

Once out of the dense cloud, Mitchell could finally see the earth below and the sight was rather breathtaking. He felt suddenly better, up here in the clear sky above the clouds—it felt good. It felt real.

“Activate mag grips.” Cormack ordered. “Alright Mitchell, time to bring this bird down.”

“Roger that.”

Mitchell increased his speed and aimed for the left wing. He slowed, his arms outstretched and reaching for the immense wing. On touch down, he slid a couple of inches before his mag grips could adapt to holding him to the wing. After a moment and a breath, Mitchell pushed forward.

“Watch the winds, use your mag grips to steady yourself.”

Mitchell crawled towards the body of the plane to set his charge.

“Device set,” He heard Cormack say. “Activate on my mark.” There was a pause and Mitchell’s hand hovered by the button. “Mark!”

Blue and yellow light flared from the edges of the device and screeched down the side of the wing.

“Ten seconds! Get clear of the blast!”

Mitchell was about to do so when the plane heaved and he was nearly thrown clean off. Mitchell flailed and tried to get a decent grip on the wing, holding onto the metallic structure like a life line.

“The plane’s banking! Hang on!”

He slid backwards but managed to catch himself on the body, evading the bits of sliced wing that were coming his way.

A baby done that was resting on top of the plane like a tick rose up, deploying parachutes and steading the machine.

“That was too close.” He heard Cormack yell.

He then let go of the plane and held back, maneuvering so that he was beside Cormack.

“Kingpin, chutes deployed. Cargo in tow. Heading to the drop point.”

“Copy that Sentinel 1, Guardian 5 is on the round, ready to receive.”

“We have your signal Sentinel two-three,” Ilona said. “Drone guidance is on target for the drop point.”

“Kingpin, any response by Atlas?”

“We’re tracking their orbital platform. No movement yet.”

 _It’s just a matter of time_. Mitchell thought wryly.

“Keep us posted. Touching down on your position, Ilona.”

Mitchell landed with a light hop and lifted his mask.

“Blowing the hatch now,” He heard someone say.

Ilona jogged up a second later, her ears slightly red from the chill.

“What’ve we got?” Cormack asked.

“The extraction team blew the back hatch and is securing the cargo.” Ilona answered.

“All units be advised, we’ve picked up an Atlas QRF on approach. Drop pods are inbound on your position.”

Mitchell looked up just as Cormack shouted ‘there!’.

“Sentinel 2, load the cargo onto Guardian 5 ASAP!”

“They’re punctual, I’ll give them that.” Ilona muttered humorlessly, passing Mitchell a gun.

The team began to run, readying their weapons and taking cover behind ice mounds.

Mitchell threw lethal grenades, enough to clear out the first sector so that he and the team could move up.

On his way through a crevice between two icicles, Mitchell got shot four times, sending him backwards.

“Fuck,” He groaned, rolling over and hauling himself up. The fourth one had hit skin. He threw a bomb in the attacker’s general direction and continued forward, desperate to help with the loading of the cargo.

“Taking heavy losses!”

“Sentinel 2 isn’t going to make it!” Ilona shouted.

“Push through to Guardian 5!” Cormack yelled, boosting over the ice block and setting a beeline for the cargo.

Mitchell followed suit, shooting stragglers that Ilona hadn’t taken care of yet.

“I can’t stay here any longer!” The Guardian 5 pilot yelled over the comm. “Lifting off!”

“Negative Guardian 5!” Cormack yelled as Mitchell finally reached his side. “Keep your ass on the ground! We’ll load the cargo!”

Mitchell and Cormack heaved the cargo in sync, forcing it onto the plane. Mitchell’s arms burned fiercely as they hurried out of the plane and back onto the ice.

“Guardian 5! Cargo secured!”

“Affirmative, lifting off.”

The plane drew up and for a second, Mitchell thought that this was actually going to work—that they would make it—but the plane suddenly began taking heavy fire from two AST’s that Mitchell didn’t see arrive.

Mitchell cycled three grenades and threw them one after the other in the AST’s direction. They faltered and Mitchell took the chance, shooting them along with Cormack and Ilona.

“We’re hit! Kingpin, this is Guardian 5! We’ve lost rear stabilizers!”

“Titan tank on the horizon! Watch out!” Cormack yelled, trying desperately to push both Mitchell and Ilona out of the way but was too late.

The tank shot at the ice, throwing Ilona, Mitchell and Cormack heavily to the ground. As the trio hurried to stand, the cracked ice beneath them gave way and they fell into the darkness below.

They hit the floor hard. Mitchell felt warm liquid seep through his shoulder and winced, trying to heave himself up.

“Is everyone alright?” Cormack asked, voice strained.

“Never better,” Ilona ground out, taking the hand offered to her by Cormack.

“Kingpin do you copy?”

Only static replied and Cormack swore under his breath.

“Damn it, we’re too deep. We need to find a way to the cargo.”

“Looks to be an opening through here,” Ilona said, feeling over the icy wall before slamming it down ruthlessly with her foot.

“Right then, let’s move.”

They walked through the dark crevice, Cormack lighting up a flare so that they could see where they were going.

“It’s getting colder,” Ilona noted behind Mitchell.

“Our suits will have trouble adjusting.” Cormack said with a nod. “We—”

They paused halfway through.

“Did you hear that?”

“Hold your fire, movement ahead.”

“No sir, there’s been no sign of them.” Mitchell froze at that accent, peeking over the mound of snow. He shook his head in exasperation. Of course it wasn’t _him_.

“Hold your shot,” Cormack said from beside him.

“Group on the right is leaving.” Ilona said.

“Let’s clean up the rest, then follow the others.”

There was a silence and Mitchell watched the stragglers.

“Ilona, you’ve got bottom right, I’ll take left. Mitchell, take the two on the top.”

Half dozen shots were fired and the soldier were down.

The team jumped down onto the floor of the ice cave and made their way through a tunnel, shooting the next wave of Atlas soldiers. They were coming in on ziplines and Mitchell made it his job to make sure their feet never touched the floor.

“Clear.” He said, Ilona and Cormack close in tow.

“I see an exit ahead, keep moving.” Ilona said.

Mitchell was moving across the unstable bridge of ice when an AST dropped down into the cave, the entire structure shaking under it’s heavy feet.

“Watch out!” Ilona yelled. “Mitchell, get back!”

Mitchell shot at it desperately, moving backwards as he did so, but it ran at him and lifted one huge imposing arm, ready to slam his head into the ground. But Jack wasn’t going to die today. He resisted against the onslaught, kicking and shoving and yelling with the exertion of holding that one arm back.

“He’s got Mitchell!” Cormack shouted and Mitchell could hear him running towards him.

“Wait! Watch your fire!”

“ _I don’t have a shot!_ ”

Mitchell’s real arm faltered and the AST picked him up by his throat, hauling him clean across the ice.

“Mitchell!” Cormack jumped onto the AST as Mitchell slid off the ice bridge. He took out his last option.

Cormack shouted desperately. “Blow the bridge!”

Mitchell slammed the device into the ice and it exploded, the force shoving Mitchell back once again, but the entire thing was collapsing and falling down to the depths below, along with him and his team.

Mitchell had no time to comprehend his pain. He sprung up and began shooting the advancing Atlas soldiers.

“More hostiles dropping in!”

Mitchell began walking through the complex, shooting as he went, Ilona covering the top right and Cormack the left.

“Keep pushing forward!”

On his way past a large rocky column, someone grabbed Jack by the back of his neck and his shoulder where the wound was still fresh. He cried out in pain, turning and slashing at the offenders face with his knife. The man backed off and Mitchell lobbed his knife, straight into the man’s heart. He stomped over and yanked it out, kicking the body out of his way.

“Almost there! Keep pushing forward!”

Mitchell used his exo boost to reach the next level, welcomed by more bullets shooting in his direction. He rolled forwards and kept low, Ilona jumping over him and shooting the three attackers in less than two seconds. She helped him up afterwards and the three ran out of the cave.

They hurried across a dangerous ledge, leaping from one bit to the next when there was no footing.

“Guardian 5, this is Sentinel two-three. How copy?”

“Sentinel two-three,” The Guardian 5 responded breathlessly. “Where the hell are you? We are under fire! Multiple KIAs. Requesting immediate hot exfil! Command has failed to respond!”

“Use your EMPs!” Cormack yelled to Mitchell as drones advanced towards them.

They hurried forwards, Mitchell throwing the EMPs, watching the drones falter and plummet.

“Kingpin! This is Sentinel two-three. Guardian 5 still has the cargo, and we are closing in on their location! Do you copy?”

Only static replied once again.

“Say again Kingpin. Can you send exfil?”

More static.

“Almost there!” Ilona yelled.

They paused by a drop that led back downwards. Following after Ilona, Mitchell allowed himself to fall, bracing for impact.

Once up, the team raced forward again, stopping behind a sizable ice wall.

“Contact, dead ahead.”

Mitchell spied the MORS custom and grabbed it quickly, taking aim at the soldiers below.

“Damn it. They’ve got the cargo.” Ilona muttered beside Mitchell’s ear.

“Kingpin, this is Sentinel two-three. Guardian 5 is down and Atlas has the cargo. Moving to intercept.”

“Solid copy,” Kingpin replied at long last. “Sending exfil to your position.”

“I’m moving down to draw them out, pick off the stragglers Ilona.”

Mitchell took aim, preparing to keep the Atlas forces off the cargo as Ilona and Cormack took them out.

“On your shot, Mitchell.”

Mitchell lined up and shot three with one bullet. He liked this gun.

“Open fire! Move! We need that cargo!”

Mitchell kept the enemies off the cargo.

“I need cover fire!”

Mitchell swerved so that he could track Cormack, keeping enemies off him and the cargo.

“Another group to the right!”

Mitchell grunted, lifting himself  half over the ice. Now with a steadier shot, Mitchell began taking out the incoming group, the soldiers falling like flies to the MORS.

“Targets down,” Ilona called. “We’re clear.”

Mitchell hurried down to join his team, the cargo in sight.

“ _Shit_ —VTOL incoming!”

Mitchell’s body shook suddenly and the ice broke beneath him, plunging him into the water. He forced his breathing to calm, looking for a way out once submerged. He swam over to the light shining through a hole not too far away.

When he reached his arm out, something grabbed it tight and he had an internal squawking moment.

It was Gideon.

“Trust me,” Gideon said.

Mitchell’s heart all but exploded in his ribcage, heat swelling in his chest.

“ _Gideon_?” Ilona said.

“ _Atlas One, report!_ ”

Mitchell stared up at Gideon from the floor, mouth slack and eyes wide.

“This is Atlas Zero One,” He said. “Juarez and Michaels are KIA.”

The two soldiers holding Cormack and Ilona at gunpoint faltered and looked up.

“Wha—”

Gideon shot them both.

Ilona jumped up and glared daggers at Gideon.

“Why now, Gideon?” She ground out, voice raised and brittle. Gideon outstretched a hand in a calm-down way. “You could’ve escaped from New Baghdad with us.”

Mitchell, finally able to move again, hauled himself up.

“And we’d all be none the wiser. There were just too many questions. I needed to find some answers for myself.”

Mitchell’s face fell and his heart sank as quickly as it had risen. Gideon glanced briefly at him, his eyes soft.

He turned back to Cormack. “Irons is planning a preemptive strike against the US. He’s been secretly developing a WMD. A bio weapon.”

Gideon began walking, Ilona’s patience decreasing.

“And we’re supposed to follow you?” She snapped.

Cormack put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “If he wanted to kill us, we’d already be dead.”

Gideon turned around and walked right up to Ilona, his voice hard. “Irons has betrayed everything I stood for.” Mitchell saw a flash of pain in his captain’s eyes briefly before it turned into muted rage. “I want him in the ground the same as you. If you want to stop him, we need to get to that cargo. Now.”

Ilona and Cormack shared a look.

“Okay.” He said after a moment. “Then lead the way.”

Gideon nodded and readied his gun. He cast another glance at Mitchell before turning and running off ahead, shortly followed by the trio.

“Mitchell,” Gideon began. Mitchell ignored the flutter in his stomach. “Cormack, grab those stingers and get out of sight.”

“Back to barking orders I see.” Mitchell muttered without thinking, causing Gideon to cast him a rare apologetic gaze. Mitchell turned quickly and ducked next to Cormack, out of sight.

“Atlas two-one, I’m ready for pickup. Sentinel operatives have been dealt with.”

There was a low rumbling from the chopper.

“Roger that, Gideon.” Mitchell felt his skin prickle at the sound of Gideon’s name coming from the VTOL pilot’s mouth. “You’re lucky; we were just about to leave without you.”

Mitchell closed his eyes, pushing back the anger.

“Is the cargo secure?”

“Yes sir, secure and intact.”

“Get a target lock but hold your fire until my signal.” Gideon said to the three Sentinels.

Mitchell got a target lock on the chopper that was coming in close.

“Gideon, we’ve got multiple heat signatures. Are you sure you’re alone down there?”

“Bring it down!” Gideon ordered and Cormack and Mitchell shot.

The chopper weaved and bits exploded, the bird dropping unceremoniously to the icy floor.

“Cormack, call in evac!” Gideon said before turning and looking at Mitchell. “Mitchell, on me!”

Mitchell’s legs moved on their own and he hauled ass, ditched the stinger and hurried after his captain.

The two slid down the snow hill and landed hard at the bottom, both hopping up and advancing towards the toasted chopper.

“Hurry! This whole place is coming apart!”

“Evac’s here!” Cormack yelled over the comm. “We’re moving to your position!”

Mitchell grabbed the cargo, opening it and yanking out part of the content. The rest would fall with the chopper.

“I’ve got it!” He called.

Gideon boosted himself up onto the chopper that swooped down, hanging out an arm.

“Jump Mitchell!” He called. Mitchell boosted up and outstretched his arm. Gideon grabbed him and pulled him in close. “I’ve got you.”

“Kingpin, cargo is secure.”

“Solid copy Sentinel two-three. Nice work out there.”

Mitchell held onto the narrow bars that were on top of the opening of the chopper, his heart beating loud in his ears. He was face to face with Gideon, the captain’s hand on his hip and his other latched onto the same bar.

“We picked up a guest along the way. Bringing him in for debriefing. Cormack out.”

*

“This,” Knox began. “Is Manticore. A biological agent designed to target specific genotypes. If your DNA signature isn’t in the Atlas database, you’re dead.”

“So,” Cormack began. “he could drop this in the middle of a battle, his troops live - ours die.”

“That’s right.” Knox affirmed. “Contact with even a single spore is fatal. Chem suits are useless.”

“Is it operational?”

“Unknown. But because he produced this sample, he could be already manufacturing at an industrial scale.”

“If he is, we need to know the where and the how. IT’s the only way we bring Irons down.”

“Problem is, Atlas has dozens of sites capable of mass production. By the time we put the pieces together—”

“Gideon,” Mitchell interrupted. “Has the location.”

Cormack turned around. “Are you sure he can be trusted?”

Mitchell contemplated his words. “This mission doesn’t happen without him. What other choice do we have?”

Cormack stared at him long and hard before sighing and turning back around.

*

Mitchell really tried to relax as much as he could before they would have to set off, he really did. But he was so aware of Gideon in the next room it made sleeping near impossible. They hadn’t had a lot of time to talk back on the ice—especially when Gideon went straight back to barking orders at him.

Mitchell bristled and stood and before he knew it, he was standing outside Gideon’s door.

“Hey. Cormack told me to come and debrief—no.” Mitchell sighed and sifted through his brain for a more believable excuse to talk to Gideon. Just the fact that he needed an excuse was pretty depressing to say the least. “I just wanted to apologise for punching you in the face—I mean, I don’t really because you deserved it but—” He sighed again and pulled a hand through his hair.

The door suddenly swung open and Mitchell jumped back.

Gideon was in a pair of sentinel camo pants and a plain white t-shirt that exposed his muscles quite splendidly.

“Why’re you muttering outside my door?” He asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Muttering? I’m not, I was just—” Mitchell swallowed. “—talking to Ilona. She was,” He gestured to his left. “Passing through.”

Gideon, obviously not believing a word, nodded slowly. “Uh-huh…”

Mitchell nodded, wondering if he could just throw himself off the nearest balcony and end this madness.

“Look, Mitchell,” Gideon began, pulling a hand through his locks awkwardly and averting the private’s gaze briefly. “If you have something to say to me you can, since I’m not really your captain ‘n all that anymore.” He walked out of his room and shut the door behind him.

“You’ll always be my captain,” Mitchell mumbled, shrugging slightly. He looked down at his feet for a second, and christ alive, this was _ridiculous_! He was a grown man! Not some high school boy high on hormones!

There was a long silence and Mitchell forced himself to look up at Gideon who was staring at him in a strange way, as if he were trying to read his facial expression.

“What?”

Gideon blinked. “Nothing.”

Mitchell swallowed and slipped his hands inside his pockets so that Gideon wouldn’t see them shaking with nervous energy. “Why didn’t you come with Ilona and I?” He asked at last, not taking his eyes off Gideon’s.

Gideon’s mouth parted but closed a second later and he sighed, long and hard.

“You’ve got to understand that Atlas was my life, Mitchell. Everything that I knew was there and until—until whatever _happened_ , it was my home.”

Mitchell felt the familiar swirling of guilt in his stomach but forced it down.

“I understand that, but—”

“If we’re still having this conversation then obviously you don’t.” Gideon interrupted, his voice edged and sharp—guarded.

“I do! I just—I—” Mitchell clenched his jaw and broke eye contact in favour of looking up at the ceiling, ignoring the burning in his veins.

“Just what? You hadn’t been there as long as I had Mitchell, it was easy for you to—”

“Easy for me? _Easy_ for me? Are you kidding?”

Gideon said nothing, jaw tight and shoulders tense.

“It wasn’t easy!” Mitchell lowered his tone. “None of it was easy, Gideon. I didn’t want to believe it either but seeing the video—it all made sense and I just—” He couldn’t find the right way to phrase what he wanted to say. Heck he didn’t know _how_ to say what he wanted to say.

They stood in silence again, tense and heavy.

“I just thought that you’d come with us—with me.”

Gideon made a noise that sounded something akin to a groan and Mitchell looked up, alarmed. Gideon's hands were splayed across his face and he was hunching over slightly in exasperation.

“I—” He sighed, straightening up and dropping his hands to his sides. “Life or death decisions are easy,” he muttered at last. “compared to that. That—that was _hard_. It was—” He took in a breath. “ _This_ is hard.”

Mitchell’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “What is?”

“This,” Gideon gestured between them.

Mitchell frowned. “I don’t follow.”

Gideon didn’t look like he did either, his whole body taught and his face tense.

“Every time you’re around I just—everything’s just so—” He lifted his hands, at a loss for how to explain. “Everything’s so difficult.”

Mitchell raised his eyebrows. “What, you can’t concentrate or something when I’m around?” He teased.

“Something like that.”

Mitchell paused.

“Why not?”

“Hell if I know. Don’t sound so bloody pleased.”

There was a short silence and Mitchell stepped forwards. “I wish you had come with us.”

“Me too.” He answered honestly. “But I didn’t so can we just let it go now? That's an order. Seriously."

Gideon’s eyes wavered around the floor before finding Mitchell’s again and—shit—when did he get so close?

Gideon backed up out of instinct but stopped when his back pressed against the closed door.

Mitchell drew in, placing his hands loosely beside Gideon’s head. When his captain didn’t make a move, Mitchell let his forehead drop against his shoulder and holy shit did that feel good.

Gideon tensed and froze, his heart rate steadily increasing inside his chest.

Mitchell inhaled silently, listening to Gideon’s heart thump. He smelt really good—something musty mixed with something Mitchell couldn’t quite pinpoint.

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours before Mitchell pulled himself back slowly so that they were only a couple inches apart, breathing the same air, both exposed and there was really no going back now.

Mitchell's real hand slid off the door and rested on Gideon's shoulder for a moment before slipping up his neck and lightly cradling the side of the older man's face. Gideon lifted his arm subconsciously and pressed his palm against Mitchell’s forearm, his fingers gripping a little tightly but Mitchell ignored it in favour of tilting his head a fraction and stepping forward.

But then there were footsteps echoing down the hallway and Mitchell blinked, stepping back, Gideon retracting his arm as if stung.

They avoided each other's gaze awkwardly, Mitchell's heart slamming against his ribcage.

“Oh—you’re both up. Good,” Cormack said, stopping a few feet from them and if he felt the air between the two, he didn’t comment. “Suit up. We’re departing in 10.”

 


	6. Bio Lab

**Chapter Six**

Strandja, Bulgaria

April 4th, 2060

0300 HRS

* * *

“Target is a former lumber factory in Bulgaria.” Gideon said. “We’ll converge on the rendezvous point and link up with Cormack and his team.”

Mitchell nodded.

Gideon was sitting across from the private, his knee brushing Mitchell’s every so often—not that Mitchell could feel much through his uniform, but still.

“Three minutes to target.” The pilot announced.

There was a brief moment of silence before Gideon nudged Mitchell’s knee with his own.

“You were right about Irons.” He said, voice soft. “Just took me a while to figure it out.”

Mitchell felt a genuine smile tug at his lips. “Better late than never, right?” He nudged Gideon’s knee back. “If it weren’t for you, we’d still be stumbling around in the dark.”

Gideon chuckled and smiled at Mitchell, the sight nearly making his heart skip a beat. Gideon leant forward, fiddling with the strap on his boot, closer to Mitchell now.

“Just like old times, huh?”

Mitchell snorted and bobbed his head.

Suddenly, red lights started flashing and beeping ensued in the chopper and Gideon stood up, alarmed. Gideon looked towards Mitchell for a moment before the entire machine was rammed sideways, nearly forcing Gideon straight out the open door. Mitchell leapt, catching onto Gideon’s arm and hauling him back against his chest.

“Kingpin,” The pilot said, voice raised and strained. “this is Viper five-three, we are hit! Atlas EMP!”

The two soldiers struggled to stand, Mitchell’s slightly larger form blocking Gideon from the door. The chopper heaved again and this time Mitchell nearly fell out. Gideon grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back, moving them both away from the doorway. They crouched near the other one, both holding on to the seats.

“Fuck!” Gideon ground out. “Exo’s failing!”

“We’ve been hit!” The pilot yelled. “Cannot hold! Prepare for impact!”

Gideon looked at Mitchell at the same time the private tried to catch his gaze. Mitchell’s hand was tight on Gideon’s shoulder, unmoving even as they heaved forward again. Gideon, seemingly having come to a decision, removed Mitchell’s hand from his shoulder and held it in his as he cast a glance outside and behind them.

“Jump!” He ordered.

Mitchell gave him a look. “What?!”

“C’mon,” Gideon squeezed his hand. “Jump!”

Mitchell held Gideon’s gaze a moment longer before leaping out of the chopper door, Gideon following behind him.

*

Mitchell awoke to the sound of far away gunshots and the feeling of being bounced around.

He groaned and shifted, his head pounding against his skull.

“Mitchell?”

Suddenly he stopped bouncing and was put gently to the floor.

“Mitchell?” There was a light slap against his face before he felt a thumb rest against his cheek, and he opened his eyes, taking a moment to let them focus on Gideon’s tense face. “Can you walk?”

He nodded numbly, taking Gideon’s hand as the captain pulled him up.

The gunshots got louder in less than a second and Gideon tugged Mitchell so that he would start running.

“They’re on us! Leg it!”

Mitchell, promptly awake, ran with Gideon as fast as his legs could carry him. The light from the helicopter was almost right on them, the sound of heavy bullets slamming into the dirt just a few seconds behind them.

“Holy shit!” Mitchell yelled, veering to his right when a bullet came whistling past his ear.

“Don’t let that sniper dial us in!”

They sprinted across the grassland, leaping over protruding logs and unfortunately placed fences.

“Go go go!” Gideon yelled, diving over one fence and sliding down the hill on the other side. Mitchell did the same, the light catching onto him.

“Shit—Mitchell!” Gideon leapt forward and tackled Jack to the floor, the bullet whizzing right over their heads. Mitchell shifted beneath Gideon’s weight and if this were any other time, he would’ve enjoyed it more. “You good?”

“Better than ever.” Mitchell answered.

Gideon rolled off of him and watched for the spotlight. It was coming back at an alarming speed.

“Shit,” He helped Jack up and they both bolted across the stream. “Run!”

Crossing the stream was the worst part. It was difficult to shove past the force of the water and the sniper’s bullets were getting more and more accurate. He kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure Gideon was still in one piece behind him. He didn’t know what he’d do if he wasn’t.

“Exo’s still rebooting.” Gideon called as they rushed out of the water and up a hill. “Helo’s circling around! Come on!”

Gideon started climbing a rather high cliff edge and as soon as he was up, Mitchell began the same rapid climb. Gideon reached down for him but the branch he’d just grabbed snapped and Mitchell held on to the other one for dear life.

Gideon’s hand dived lower and clasped around Mitchell’s wrist desperately.

“Come on!” Gideon growled at his exo. It beeped at long last and Gideon sighed. “Exo’s up. Cloak!”

Mitchell frantically reached to activate the cloaking device.

The chopper closed in seconds later but luckily he was successfully covered. He let out an unstable breath and grabbed the tree root with both hands before heaving himself up.

“Chopper’s movin’ off. We’re good to go.”

Mitchell hurried forward to where he saw Gideon disappear.

“Sync your visor to my signature.” He said and Mitchell did. He saw him crouched beside a bush and hurried over, adopting the same position.

“Move slow near hostiles, don’t let them hear you.” Gideon’s hand found Mitchell’s shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” He breathed.

They began shuffling along before Gideon yanked him down with him beneath a small tree.

“Drone! Don’t move.”

After buzzing around above their heads like a bee on steroids, the drone finally left a full thirty seconds later and Gideon let out a breath right beside Mitchell’s ear, forcing shivers down his spine.

“Let’s go.” Gideon said, getting up and pushing forward with Mitchell close behind him. “Watch your energy cells. Moving will drain them out.”

They hurried through the forest that was luckily not too dense and paused beside and opening.

“Patrol approaching. Take the one in front.”

Mitchell prepared to melee, crouching forward before grabbing the guard and punching his face, tripping his feet and slamming his head against a tree trunk with his knife. He looked over to see the other guard already down at Gideon’s feet.

“These are unsuppressed. Only fire as a last resort, let’s keep a lid on things.” Gideon picked up the man’s gun and walked over to Mitchell. “Kingpin, this is Sentinel two-one. Our helo smoked in hard. We’re in E&E mode, in need of immediate exfil.”

“Negative Sentinel two-one. Try to effect linkup with Sentinel two-three.” Came the reply.

“Copy.” Gideon crouched behind a rock beside a large vehicle. “Fucking hell.” He looked over his shoulder at Mitchell. “Too much activity. Flank right.”

They walked slow and kept low to the ground, stalking a passing guard to a more secluded area before Gideon leapt on him and cracked his neck—the thrashing ceasing instantly.

 _Such capable hands_ Mitchell thought.

“Hold up. Charging.”

Both crouched beside a beast of a tree and uncloaked. Mitchell watched the meter steadily increase and once it was full, cloaked up again.

“Cormack and Knox should be at the RV by now. Let’s move.”

They moved up towards another vehicle before Gideon held up his hand and made a signal.

“Two in the vehicle. Plant a mute charge. We’ll take them out quietly.”

Mitchell snuck closer and bent over, placing the mute charge down softly and turning it. Mitchell then raced forward and snapped the passenger’s neck, Gideon doing the same with the driver on the other side. They met at the front of the car and Gideon’s hand connected with Mitchell’s in a light slap by their sides.

“Top job.” He said, crouching low and taking the lead.

Shaking off all the fluffy unicorns and rainbows circling his being, Mitchell crouched low and followed Gideon past a few more guards and into a plant infested ditch.

“Charge up,” He said. Mitchell uncloaked and gave it four seconds. “Moving.”

They edged their way onwards through the forest until Gideon halted beside a thick leaved tree.

“Convoy ahead,” He said. “Hold up.”

Mitchell crouched down close beside him and peered behind them.

“Five AST’s approaching. Forget about shooting our way past this one. Grab some cover.”

They hid side by side behind a platform that looked like it connected with a truck.

The AST’s slammed their way past the two soldiers, their footsteps shaking the earth as they went.

“Keep moving, almost there.”

They hurried past the rest of the vehicle and paused near another tree, Gideon casting a few glances around before announcing the all clear and they were moving again.

“Seeker! Cloak’s useless against it, avoid the beam.”

Mitchell grabbed cover behind Gideon beside a stack of logs, not moving whilst the seeker passed their position slower than should be legal.

“Okay, go!”

They ran to the next cover, which was a large rock.

“Shit! They’ve seen us!”

Mitchell rolled out and shot the last of the patrol, Gideon running past him and into the woods, taking out the rest.

“That was too close.” He muttered, continuing through the trees, going prone to edge under a log. Once out the other side, Gideon slapped a hand at the base of Mitchell’s skull, non-threatening.

“Keep it quiet next time.” He scolded.

They hurried forward to the RV point.

“This is it. Cormack, on approach.”

Cormack uncloaked and appeared in front of the two. “Copy. You good?”

Gideon nodded. “We need an exfil sharpish. Had to drop a few of their guys. There’s gonna be a riot when they discover the bodies.”

“Mission isn’t over yet. Kit up.”

“The mission was over before it began.” Gideon argued.

“We’re not leaving until we take a look at this place.” Cormack insisted using his authoritative  don’t-fuck-with-me voice.

“I don’t see a fucking thing.”

“Knox, show them.”

“Sending you my feed. Chemical signature boss and lots of it.”

“They’ve got something to hide.” Cormack said.

“We lost the initiative, we should come back another day—”

“There is no _other day_.” Cormack snapped.

“This thing goes sideways, it’s on you my friend.”

“Gideon don’t be a jerk.” Mitchell muttered exasperatedly.

“It’s always been on me.” Cormack mumbled, attaching the wire and beginning his descent down the cliff before Gideon could reply.

Gideon sighed. “He’s a hard bastard, I’ll give him that. Let’s get it done.”

Gideon waited for Mitchell to attach before descending.

“Holographic canopy.” Knox muttered over the comm.

“Target building up ahead. Two guards by the camera.”

The team pushed forward until they were right outside the house.

“Mitchell,” Cormack began. “Pick a target.”

Mitchell shot the right one, the next few going down next.

The team hurried to the entry and Mitchell set the mute charge.

“This is our breach point. Mitchell, get us in.”

Once the charge detonated, Cormack blew the door up and led the way inside. The rest of the team open fired on the occupants inside.

“Two in the hallway.” Gideon said, motioning for Mitchell to come and join him where he was watching them threw a narrow window.

“Take them out.”

They did, swiftly.

“Clear.”

Cormack tapped his ear. “Kingpin, we’ve infiltrated the target building and are proceeding to the server room.”

“Roger that. We have you up on a strong ISR feed. Stay with the plan.”

“Roger.”

The team sprinted up the stairs and paused outside of a door, Knox crouching by the right whilst Gideon opened it.

“This is it.” Cormack said. “Mitchell, your lead.”

Mitchell nodded and led the team into the room, Gideon behind him. Jack shot the soldier at the desk.

“Clear.”

“Get on that console.” Gideon ordered and Mitchell pulled the screen towards him.

“Okay boys, rip the room. Drives, data, packs, anything interesting. You know the drill.”

Gideon came to ransack the space beside Mitchell, Knox clearing out the front area where Cormack was typing away on another console.

“Kingpin,” Knox started. “Commencing SSE. Uplink to follow.”

“Standing by to receive package.”

Knox stood, stepping over to Cormack and hitting his shoulder amicably. “Not that one grandpa. Those two over there.”

Cormack let out a loud huff before moving over and using the other consoles. Mitchell chuckled beneath his breath and Gideon nudged him between the shoulder blades with his shoulder.

“Bingo, we have the package. Transmitting.”

“Uplink confirmed.”

“Alright,” Cormack began. “Burn it down.”

“Thermite out.”

They slammed the butts of their guns into everything trashable and tossed a few grenades that could be detonated at will.

“Theres more to this place than bio-weapons. This is gonna take Irons down.” Cormack looked over at Mitchell. “You good?”

Mitchell nodded and watched Cormack smash his console, moving back.

“Package received,” Kingpin said over the comm. “Good job. Proceed with second target.”

“Copy that. Proceeding to chemical facility.”

“Two-three, be advised. We’ve got enemy pax swarming the target.”

“On me,” Knox said, taking the front of the line. “They just activated a sensor net. Our cloaks are useless.”

Everyone took a stance outside the next door.

“Okay. Stealth’s no longer an option. Watch out for sensors, they’ll scramble our exos.”

“Never been one for stealth anyway.” Mitchell said to Gideon who gave him the side eye.

“That’s for damn sure.”

Mitchell scowled at Gideon who just smirked.

“Go!”

The doors opened and the team open fired on all the occupants of the room, not giving them a chance to regroup and recover.

“Push forward!”

Mitchell took the lead, stepping over the threshold of another door. Something hit him hard in the back and he stumbled. He whirled around in time to see Gideon slam a soldier’s face into the wall and give him a thumbs up. Mitchell returned the gesture with a smile.

“Sensor in the corner. Kill it!”

Mitchell crouched beside stacks of black boxes and aimed at the blue light, shooting it until the beam cut off and the machinery shattered.

The team advanced around another corner, sprinting down the hallway.

“Flank left or right! Can’t afford to be pinned down!”

Gideon and Mitchell flanked left, clearing out the sides as Cormack and Knox flanked right.

Once a few more meters down the corridor, Gideon shared a look with Mitchell and the private nodded. They split up, Gideon covering the left and Mitchell taking care of the right.

The team RVed where all the forks met up and hurried down yet another corridor. Mitchell ducked when a soldier lifted his arm to hit his head, Gideon slamming his gun straight against the offender’s nose.

The two hurried after Cormack and Knox, covering the team’s six.

Once clear of enemies, the team raced down the hall and down a couple flights of stairs until they reached another door, this one wide open.

“We’re here,” Cormack announced.

Mitchell hurried over to a crate and planted the FRB.

“I’ve got trace toxins on these canisters. This is all Manticore.”

“Alright. Let’s seal this up. Everyone out!”

The team raced out the doors and took cover as Mitchell detonated the FRBs.

“Kingpin. Manticore is secure. Ready for exfil.”

“Primary LZ is too hot. Sky’s full of hostiles. We have established LZ black three klicks to the south east. We’ve ID’d a T-740 in the south hangar. That’s your ride.”

“Understood. We’re moving.”

“Keeps getting better.” Gideon grumbled beside Mitchell as they broke into a run yet again.

Outside the door, Mitchell ducked.

“Awh shit.” He muttered.

“Contact!”

Mitchell raced over to a truck and took cover, taking out the few soldiers hanging back towards the right. His body inched backwards with every hit he took, making him wince.

A grenade flew over his head and he was yanked back.

“Grab cover when you’re taking fire.” Gideon ordered beside his ear. Mitchell turned his gaze to Gideon and regarded him with a questioning look. “Try not to die on me, would you?”

A corner of Mitchell’s mouth twitched up and he gave a quick nod. Gideon’s face visibly relaxed and he nodded too, racing off in the other direction.

“Clear this side!” Mitchell yelled hurrying towards the south hangar. He skidded to a stop when he saw the RPGs. “Nevermind! Not clear! Not clear!” He raced back and took cover behind another truck, leaning on a crate and breathing heavily.

Mitchell raced forwards as Gideon and Knox distracted the RPGs with their own rapid fire. He threw a grenade upwards, planning to intercept from behind. But then he was blown back against the ground, all the air leaving his lungs in a pained, sharp intake of breath.

“Mitchell!” Gideon yelled, trying to push past the crates to Mitchell’s side but stopped by the rain of bullets.

“AST!” Cormack yelled.

Mitchell used his arms to pull himself clear as the AST began running towards him. He felt fear seep through his veins and for a moment, he thought he was really going to die this time.

In that same second, something clicked on the floor and the AST fell to it’s knees. Gideon sprinted forward and pushed his gun over his shoulder, grabbing Mitchell under his arms and hauling him up and to safety whilst Knox and Cormack took care of the threat.

“You okay mate?” Gideon asked beside his ear. Mitchell nodded feebly, taking in a long breath and steadying himself.

“Thanks,” He breathed.

Gideon was about to say something, but Cormack’s voice interrupted over the comm.

“Knox! Get this door open!”

Gideon and Mitchell hurried to the door where Knox and Cormack were waiting.

“Running a bypass! Cover me!” A blaring noise echoed through the warehouse. “I’m getting interference from that scrambler up there!”

“Mitchell!” Cormack called. “Get a jammer on that dish! We’ll cover!”

“Roger!” Mitchell raced forward and turned to look behind him quizzically when he heard footsteps. Gideon was following him. Mitchell tried not to smile as they hurried through some makeshift buildings.

“Look for a ladder!” Gideon called.

Mitchell almost circled the entire thing before he found the blasted ladder. He forced his way up it, hurrying across the top of the containers and planting the jammer.

“Signal is clear!” Knox shouted. “Should have this open in a minute.”

“More tangos moving in! Mitchell, Gideon, cover Knox!”

Mitchell leapt over the railing on the container and raced across a smaller one, jumping off the edge and catching up to Gideon who was already taking out the enemies.

“Door’s open! Let’s move!”

The team raced through after Knox.

“Mitchell, rally up!”

“Vehicle hangar is through here,”

The team sped up the next two flights of stairs to the corridor that led to the hangar. Knox ran through the door first, the rest of the team following close behind.

It was a beast. A tank. Mitchell didn’t recall seeing a design quite like this one.

“Sweep the room.” Cormack ordered.

“Clear.” He heard Gideon announce from somewhere on his left.

“This is our ride. Knox, see if you can get it running.”

“Copy that.”

“T-740, still only a prototype.” Gideon said from behind Mitchell. “Can’t be that different from the 600.”

“Powering it up.”

Mitchell backed up when bright blue lights flared from the bottom of the T-740.

Cormack walked towards it and slapped the surface. “Hands up who knows how to drive this thing?”

There was a long awkward silence before Gideon spoke up.

“Mitchell and I trained up on the 600’s.” He said before crouching and peeking under the beast. “Huh. Those thrusters are new.”

“Disengaging!” Knox warned. “We’re charged and fully armed.”

“Kingpin, this is Sentinel two-three. Enroute to LZ black. ETA 10 mikes. Request you soften the LZ with fires.”

“Roger that Sentinel two-three. Bird is in an off-set orbit. Standing by.”

“Alright,” Cormack began, turning to his team. “Everyone in.”

Mitchell climbed in after Gideon.

“All systems check green,” He heard him say. “Alright Mitchell,” Gideon said, turning to face Jack. “Just like in training.”

“Great.” Mitchell muttered, sitting down beside Gideon. “I seem to remember busting this particular simulator.”

“It was just that one time.”

‘ _Weapons system online_ ’

“Alright. Move it out, Mitchell.”

Mitchell hesitated before flicking the controls and the beast moved forwards.

“They’re onto us! Fire when ready! Use missiles against infantry.”

Mitchell targeted the tangos ahead and fired the missiles.

Mitchell pushed through the complex, running over corpses and shooting bullets at anything that moved or worse, returned fire.

“Through the gate!”

Mitchell drove the machine through the forest, bypassing protruding logs.

“Infantry ahead of us!”

Mitchell took care of them with five shots, clearing the pathway.

“Mitchell, armour approaching!”

“I see it!” Mitchell fired against the enemy, but it didn’t do much damage the first time round.

“Hit him again!” Gideon ordered and Mitchell did.

The tank exploded in front of the T-740 and Mitchell swerved around it.

“Tank’s down!”

“Sentinel two-three,” Kingpin began. “I have a helo heading to a new LZ. Eta two minutes. Coordinates follow: Foxtrot, Whiskey, zero, five, three, nine, one, zero.”

“Copy that. Coordinates confirmed.”

“Mitchell switch to missiles,”

Mitchell switched and shot at the three soldiers lining the piled logs.

“Warbird on our left!”

Mitchell shot at it three times and it heaved in the sky, twirled and then slammed into the ground.

“Warbird is down!”

“VRAP’s inbound!”

“We can’t take another hit like that!” Gideon growled.

“Head right, across the river!”

“Fuck, tank approaching!”

“The LZ should be just over that ridge!” Cormack yelled. “Push through!”

Mitchell shot the tank twice before it erupted.

Mitchell drove the tank towards the hill but had to slow when two warbirds zoomed in overhead. He shot the one closest, sending out flares to draw their fire. The first bird went down with a bang, but Mitchell lost the other one.

“Tanks up ahead!”

Mitchell swore, veering right and cutting around the burning chopper. He swerved and slammed into the first tank that was no match for the T-740’s size. He shot at the rest, moving when one would explode to the next one behind it.

“Got them, nice shot.”

“Just up that hill Mitchell!”  

Mitchell pushed up the hill, bringing down yet another warbird with an EMP fire.

“LZ is up ahead.” Gideon said. “Keep going.”

‘ _Trophy system at 25%_ ’

Mitchell willed it to last longer—just a _little longer._

‘ _Trophy system at 15%_ ’

“Get ready to bail out!” Gideon shouted.

“This is it!”

“Everybody out!” Gideon yelled. “ _Move move move_!”

“That’s our bird! Move into PZ posture!”

“ _Standing by to load passengers._ ”

The team ran to the warbird and piled on quickly.

“We’re up four! We’re up!”

The warbird hummed and lifted up.

They peered down at the beast.

“Shit,” Cormack muttered. “We should’ve scrapped it.”

Gideon, typing away at the tech on his forearm, spoke next. “Step ahead of you mate.”

A second later, the T-740 exploded below them, the heat of the fire reaching Mitchell’s face.

“Nice work soldier.” Cormack said. “Once we get this stuff decrypted, Atlas is history.”

Jack turned to look at Gideon.

Gideon met his gaze and winked.

 _Oh Jesus_. He thought.

*

Mitchell leant his arm on his crossed legs where he sat on the medical table, peering over at Gideon’s shoulder.

“Okay, stay still.” He ordered.

“Why’re you doing this?” Gideon muttered. “We have medical.”

Mitchell grinned. “Because we’re a team and we look after our own. And it’s good practice.”

Gideon snorted. “Be gentle or I’ll punch your face in.”

Mitchell mock gasped. “I’m wounded!”

“It’ll be revenge.” He muttered.

Mitchell leaned forwards and picked up the tweezers. He gently placed his finger tips on Gideon’s warm skin and spread it, peering into the wound.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“No you’re not.”

“You’re right,” Mitchell said, gently pushing in and pulling out the bullet in one swift movement.

“ _Fuck_!”

“I’m not.”

Gideon grumbled under his breath and elbowed Mitchell in the ribs, causing the younger to laugh and bat the offending limb away. Jack cleaned the wound and stitched it closed, placing a gauze over the injury and taping it in place.

Mitchell jumped off the table and moved the medical kit around with him. He pushed in-between Gideon’s legs from where he sat on the medical table and assessed the damage.

There was one nasty cut just above Gideon’s brow and one that looked rather sore on his lip.

Mitchell took the tweezers and a needle with the thread behind it.

“Close your eyes.” He murmured.

Gideon hesitated before doing as instructed.

Mitchell leaned forward and slowly started stitching up the wound. When he was done, he took a cotton strip and wiped the wound over gently with disinfectant. Gideon winced slightly when Mitchell pulled the cotton back and placed gauze and tape over the injury.

Jack looked at Gideon’s bottom lip. The cut wasn’t too deep, but a lot of blood had accumulated there. He wiped it over gently with some warm water and paused. He let his thumb trail over Gideon’s lip whilst his other hand tenderly cradled his face. Gideon leant into the contact and Mitchell refrained (with difficulty) from exploding with all the nervous energy and butterflies in his stomach.

Taking the action as proof he wasn’t about to be decked in the face, Mitchell cradled the other side of Gideon’s face with his other hand and closed the distance between them. At first, he just pressed his lips to Gideon’s lightly and trailed them back and forth. He could feel Gideon’s hot breath on his skin and the way his breathing turned shallow. Mitchell brushed their noses together before tilting his head and kissing Gideon for real, the captain’s left hand snaking up Mitchell’s chest and embedding in his hair, tugging slightly. Mitchell let out a soft groan against Gideon’s lips and he took the advantage and slipped his tongue past those warm lips, prodding tentatively against Mitchell’s at first, but soon growing bolder when the young private let out a shaky breath against his lips and pressed back. Mitchell’s real hand slipped up Gideon’s neck and into his marvelous short, sandy blonde locks. Gideon edged forward on the table, wrapping his legs around Mitchell’s waist and pulling him forward so there was no more space left between them.

After an intense moment, Gideon pulled back and inhaled, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Mitchell leant forward and began peppering kisses up his neck, supporting Gideon’s head with his hand when the blonde craned his neck back.

Mitchell’s other hand trailed down Gideon’s bare chest and over his abs, feeling them constrict beneath his touch.

Gideon’s hands found Mitchell’s hips and he pushed forward, grinding their erections together.

“Holyshitmotherofgod,” Mitchell breathed against Gideon’s neck, both hands dropping to grip the table below to steady himself.

Gideon rolled his hips again, eliciting a gasp from them both.

Mitchell fumbled with the button and zipper on Gideon’s sentinel pants, but didn’t get very far when Gideon connected their mouths again and trapped his top lip between his teeth. Mitchell grasped Gideon’s sides for purchase as the older man worked up a steady rhythm with his hips.

Mitchell felt the familiar pressure building in his lower abdomen and hissed when he felt Gideon’s hand slither between them and press up against his erection over his pants.

Gideon unbuttoned his pants in one swift movement and pulled the zipper down illegally slow. Mitchell groaned against Gideon’s lips, the two no longer kissing but rather breathing the same air again.

His hand finally slipped inside Mitchell’s boxers—strong, deft fingers wrapping around his length and giving a firm tug and stroking a few times before wrapping at the base, halting the relief that Mitchell needed so badly.

“That’s for punching me in the face,” He muttered against Mitchell’s ear, the private biting furiously at his bottom lip.

It was over embarrassingly fast after Gideon released him in favour of rocking their hips together again. Just a shift of angle and Gideon breathing his name—his _first_ name—in his ear drove him over the edge. He came with a shuddery groan, the rhythm of their hips erratic and fast, Gideon’s arms wrapped around his neck, one hand in his hair and the other gripping his shoulder tightly as he thrusted. Mitchell rested his chin on Gideon’s shoulder and slipped his hand past the line of Gideon’s pants, zipper forgotten and button unceremoniously tugged away. Jack coaxed Gideon towards release with a twist of his wrist, and the way he mouthed at his neck forced Gideon over the same edge, just as fast.

There was a moment when all that could be heard was their ragged breathing until Gideon spoke.

“This is what happens when you’re stuck on life threatening missions without the chance to jack off for days on end.”

Mitchell laughed out loud, dropping his head against Gideon’s shoulder and nuzzling against his neck.

“I can’t believe we just did this here. The medics will be in fucking fits.”

“I can’t believe we did this at all.” Mitchell muttered against his throat, craning his neck so that he could mouth wet kisses against his jawline.

Gideon hummed, letting his arms slip from Mitchell’s shoulders and slide down his toned arms.

Mitchell’s affections faltered when Gideon’s fingers traced from his bicep down to his prosthetic arm.

Gideon’s fingers explored the dips and curves of Mitchell’s hand and wrist, not tentative in the least.

“Does it bother you?” Mitchell asked quietly.

“Nothing about you bothers me.”

Mitchell felt this overwhelming urge to cry suddenly. “You sound so sappy.”

“It’s your fucking fault you fucker. Take responsibility.”

Mitchell laughed again, shaking his head slightly.

“Yeah yeah.”

“Okay, move, my ass is numb.”

Mitchell whined but relented when Gideon started rubbing circles just under his arms where he was most ticklish.

“Okay! Jeez.” Mitchell moved back and zipped up his pants. Gideon did the same, slipping off the table and grimacing at the wetness he was welcomed with.

There was a moment of comfortable silence, Gideon’s hand smoothing through Mitchell’s hair before the two parted when the doors to the medical bay opened.

Ilona stood before them, her serious face slipping into amusement and slight exasperation as she stared. “We have a situation,” She said. “Stop fucking around and get down to debriefing.” With that she turned and departed.

Gideon hastily grabbed his shirt.

“She totally intended that pun, didn’t she.”

Gideon snorted. “Obviously.”

****  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa didn't expect that!!
> 
> ...
> 
> Just kidding.


	7. Collapse

**Chapter Seven**

San Francisco, California, USA

June 15th, 2060

0830 HRS

* * *

“I am honored to be the first CEO of a private corporation to become a member of the United Nations Security Council. Unfortunately my appearance today has been clouded by a flurry of speculation that my corporation is developing a weapon of mass destruction which would be capable of targeting specific ethnic groups. I want to address these allegations head on. Are we developing such a weapon? No we are not. Because we’ve already developed it. But with all due respect, the United Nations is a relic from a different time when nations were unique in their ability to solve the world’s problems. But that just isn’t the case anymore. Primarily because you have outsourced the job to me. I have sent people to die in your wars. So I feel uniquely qualified to tell you, _your wars don’t work_ , which is why my priorities have changed; from profits to policy because politicians don’t know how to solve problems, but I do. So let’s be clear. I am here to solve the world’s problems. And I believe the world’s problems begin with _you_.”  

*

“So what the hell was that?” Mitchell muttered, turning away from the screen in favour of looking at Gideon.

“Couldn’t tell you mate, but it sounded an awful lot like Irons declaring war.”

Exasperated and initial good mood destroyed, Mitchell clenched his jaw and swallowed. “We took out his WMDs. Without Manticore, Atlas doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Cormack,” Knox called loudly as he walked into the room. Both men paused and turned to look at the soldier, his eyebrows knitted tightly together. “You need to see this.”

“Talk to me.” Cormack said from where he stood still facing the screen.

“We cracked the encryption on the last set of uploads.”

“What am I looking at?”

“Potential targets—Irons had a fallback plan if Atlas was ever backed into a corner.”

“A preemptive strike. He’s gonna try to knock us out before the fight has even begun.”

Mitchell couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His mouth fell slack and he dragged a hand roughly through his hair. “A direct attack on the U.S.? Are we sure Irons is even up for that?”

There was a long, foreboding silence and Mitchell could feel his stomach churning with nerves and anger and probably other emotions he hadn’t even realised yet.

“So what’s the play?” Gideon inquired when no one spoke again. “No way Atlas can hit ‘em all at once.”

“San Francisco. The entire third fleet is in the bay.” Cormack turned to look at Mitchell and Gideon. “I need you two on the ground now.”

Gideon looked over at Mitchell as the private nodded.

*

“Gideon,” Cormack said over the comm. “Report in.”

“North side’s all clear—wait—” Gideon peered closer at the screen. “What’s he playing at?”

“What’ve you got?”

“He’s rabbiting, let’s move!”

Gideon swiped his screen over to Mitchell and the private slammed his foot on the gas.

“White van with commercial plates just jumped the checkpoint. We’re in pursuit.”

“There could be anything inside that van,” Cormack replied, his voice hard and brisk. “Pursue but do not engage.”

“Copy that. Punch it Mitchell.”

The van wasn’t all that far ahead, but it kept ducking in between cars and Mitchell kept losing his visual. At one point, the van ducked behind a bus but must’ve rammed it because the damn thing skidded sideways and knocked Mitchell’s and Gideon’s vehicle straight off the road.

“Stay on him!”

“Three more vehicles just broke the checkpoint,” Knox said over the comm. “They’re heading your way!”

“How the hell did ISR miss these bastards?” Gideon growled, slamming his fist against the dashboard.

Mitchell pushed on the gas, willing the car forward because the van was getting harder and harder to keep up with because of the mess of cars it kept leaving behind.

“Get around that tanker!”

Mitchell, irritated beyond rational thinking, slammed past the tanker, ramming it in the process. Before he could change gear and speed up to the van, something rammed against the side of their vehicle, rocking the entire thing.

“Watch out!”

“Fuck!” Mitchell ground out, veering left, away from the explosion.

“All units, we have multiple Atlas vehicles converging on the bridge! I need and immediate three-sixty around the fleet!” There was a minute pause before Cormack continued. “Kingpin, we have enemy targets on the bride. Code Red on all units.”

“Copy that. We’re sending assets to assist.”

Someone shot through the window of the vehicle somehow and it slammed against Mitchell’s shoulder, causing his hands to push the wheel to the right. Gideon quickly put his hands on Mitchell’s and steadied his driving, taking them away from the bridge edge they were about to smash into.

“Shit—are you okay?” He asked, not taking his eyes of the road.

Mitchell grunted in response, rolling his shoulder. Thankfully, it hadn’t actually caused any need-immediate-care damage.

But the assholes were still ramming into the car and Mitchell nor Gideon could control it whilst being simultaneously shot at.

The car swerved off the road and Gideon grabbed him, one arm braced against the roof of the car and the other wrapped around Mitchell’s neck, keeping him upright.

The car veered and tipped, rolling a few times before finally stopping upside down after slamming into the rear of another vehicle.

Mitchell was pretty sure he blacked out for a few seconds, only hearing the tail end of Cormack’s orders over the comm.

“I need a roadblock, mid-span!”

Mitchell gasped out in pain, trying to find the bottom half of his body. He pushed himself upwards, grabbing onto Gideon for support who was already trying to help him up. He slammed his fist against the door a few times before giving up and kicking the thing off with his foot.

He grabbed his gun on the way out, using the rail on the bridge to support himself whilst he willed his head to stop spinning.

Gideon was a couple of feet from him, spitting blood onto the floor.

“You good?” He asked, walking over to Mitchell and pressing his hand to the back of his head. Mitchell nodded, releasing the rail and readying his gun. Gideon nodded too, lifting a hand to his ear. “Cormack, pitbull’s out of action. Proceeding on foot.”

As they started sprinting down the road packed with steaming cars, Mitchell felt the adrenaline start humming in his veins and he felt hyper aware of everything around him. It was worse then usual. A civilian jumped out from the space between two cars and Mitchell almost shot him. He backed up against an adjacent car and let the startled people flee.

Gideon grabbed hold of his shoulders and than his face when Mitchell wasn’t paying attention, his breathing audibly laboured.

“Hey,” Gideon said, voice low, forcing Mitchell to look at him. “It’s going to be okay, alright? But I need you to calm down. Can you do that?”

Mitchell stared at him for a long moment before slowing his breath and nodding.

Gideon nodded too, about to back up and start running again but instead paused and turned to Mitchell again.

He leant in quickly and kissed him briefly, his thumb smoothing over Jack’s bruised cheekbone.

“Let’s go.” He said, backing up and racing down the road, followed by a slightly stunned Mitchell.

“Was that some sort of ‘incase I don’t see you again’ incentive thing?” Mitchell asked, going for the light and airy tone but not pulling it off at all and instead listening to his voice crack.

Gideon slowed and turned to look at him, grabbing the back of his head with one hand again, eyes serious. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Mitchell nodded, at least he’s pretty sure he nodded, but he no longer really understood what was happening. There was too many of Atlas and not enough of them, how could they possibly pull it off this time?

“Atlas vehicles are deploying soldiers! They’re closing on your position.”

“As per fucking usual.” Gideon muttered. “Boosters incoming!”

The two slid behind the cover of a truck and shot upwards at the advancing Atlas soldiers.

“We need to get these civilians off the bridge!”

“SFPD is on the scene.”

The two soldiers closed in on a wreckage, two huge trucked over turned and blocking any further advancement forwards.

“Mitchell, engage your boosters. We need to get over this wreck!”

Mitchell engaged his boosters and leapt over the truck, shooting Atlas soldiers as he descended back to the ground with a heavy thump.

“Sentinel zero-one, I need a sitrep.”

“Kingpin, we are engaged with a large Atlas force on the bridge. We need to blockade any incoming ships.”

“Copy that, we are moving to intercept.”

Mitchell pushed forwards, cleaning out the soldiers on the containers and vehicles whilst Gideon took the ones on the ground.

“Mitchell! Keep away from that tanker!”

“Roger that!”

They continued forward when no more shooting ensued.

“Gideon,” Cormack began. “We’ve got the van pinned, dead center of the span.”

“We’re almost there,” Gideon answered. “Blue approaching, what’s your status?”

Mitchell, preoccupied, couldn’t quite hear the answer to that but it sounded like they were in danger.

“Copy that. Cormack, I need covering fire.”

“Negative, the van’s the priority.”

“Bollocks.” Gideon muttered, sliding into cover.

Mitchell cleared out the path as best he could, forcing the Atlas soldiers back until more would come and they would regroup again.

Mitchell and Gideon raced forwards, pushing past the wreckage and down the bridge whilst they had time.

“Friendlies ahead,” Gideon warned. “Watch your fire!”

They reached part of the bridge where more and more Sentinel soldiers had accumulated at long last and Mitchell felt better—relieved even.

“Got the van—five meters.”

“Roger that, we’re moving to assist.”

“Get out of the van!”

The van came into view just in time for Mitchell to see the van doors wrenched open and the driver shoved out.

“Get down on the goddamn ground!”

Mitchell open fired as soon as he was out and in sight.

“We’ve got the driver.”

“Check that van, Mitchell.” Gideon ordered.

Mitchell walked around the back and pulled on the double doors, but they wouldn’t budge. He pulled out a blowtorch.

“Sentinel zero-one, the carrier is almost clear of the bridge.”

Before he could put the blowtorch on the metal, he was catapulted backwards, something emerging from the rear of the van.

“Drones!”

“Take them out!”

One flew right over his head and he prepared for an impact that would never come.

He turned over, pushing himself off the floor. The drone had latched onto the side of the bridge and he caught on, but it was already too late.

Parts of the bridge exploded and the overall explosion sent Mitchell meters in the air and the shockwave slammed him into a car like a ragdoll.

Mitchell groaned in pain, sliding off the car and hitting the pavement below. He lifted a hand to his face, the throb agonising.

“Look out! It’s coming apart!”

“ _Get off the bridge!_ ”

The bridge screeched and cracked, the cement crumbling away into nothing.

Mitchell was sliding down and down, closer to the edge of the broken bridge. He frantically twisted to grab for something— _anything_ —to stop him plummeting to his death. Once safely latched onto something, Mitchell reached desperately for a soldier that went careening beside him but missed his outstretched hand by millimeters. He turned when he heard the screeching of a car wheels, preparing to be smashed in the face but instead catching the hand of a police officer. He dangled aimlessly for a moment, gripping too tightly onto Mitchell’s arm as the private tried to heave him up. When he looked to the side, he saw another soldier get smashed by a van as it skidded off the bridge and his breath caught painfully in his throat as he watched.

Forcing everything back, Mitchell leaned down and in one yank, successfully heaved the officer over the bridge edge and onto the road. The policeman lay there for a few moments, panting and sweating before jumping up.

Mitchell heaved in a few breaths, pulling himself upwards using the cracks in the cement. He grimaced when the flesh of his palm split as his hand slid of a particularly sharp rock, the material of his glove long gone and trashed. The policeman was already running upwards, trying to get away as fast as possible. Mitchell didn’t care, he was too busy trying not to have a breakdown from watching his entire team perish. He could hear their cries, choked off by their rapidly constricting windpipes and collapsing lungs.

Mitchell rolled onto his side and pulled himself up some more until his wrist started burning with the effort and he stopped. He let his eyes slip closed, dropping his forehead against the road. His team—his comrades—were gone and he was alone.

“Mitchell!”

Mitchell rolled off his side and pushed himself up with his palms as Gideon landed beside him, stepping back quickly before he, too, could slip of the edge of the broken road. For an instant, his head hung low on his tense shoulders and he looked exhausted—beaten.

Mitchell ran at him and Gideon had only half a second to process it and open his arms.

Jack wrapped his arms tightly around Gideon’s neck, clinging to him as if his life depended on it, and perhaps it did. After a moment, Gideon regained his footing, veered them away from the edge of the road and hugged him back, arms wound tight around his waist.

“You alright mate?” Gideon murmured against his ear.

Mitchell nodded, not trusting his voice.

*

Cormack frantically slid between screens, trying to find lifesigns of his squads as they disappeared off the map one by one.

“ _Sentinel zero-one, request sitrep, what’s happening out there, over!_ ”

His heart was beating slow and heavy in his chest and it was aching something chronic.

“ _Sentinel zero-one acknowledge, over_.”

“ _Major Cormack, we need a sitrep immediately, confirm—_ ”

The beeping became too much for him to bear and he ripped out his earpiece, breathing hard and shakily, his heart now running a mile a minute and thrumming visibly in his neck. He stared at the computer screen, his head slowly dropping until he was looking at the keyboard.

“God…” He whispered, his voice choked with emotion and strain. He moved away from his desk slowly, staring at the screens and putting a hand on the desk for leverage—to keep him steady because he was close to collapsing, to giving up.

“Cormack!” The voice over the radio startled him and he turned towards it again. “We’ve got movement on TRP three and five.”

Cormack looked at Knox and turned his attention back to the screens.

“Confirmed changes on those cargo ships.” There was a moment of heavy silence until Knox spoke again, his voice high with disbelief and sheer shock. “They’re attacking the fleet. There’ll be a massive—”

Cormack interrupted him quickly. “At ease lieutenant!” He took a steady breath. “How many assets do I have active in the area?”

“Scanning, standby. Connecting you now.”

Cormack stuffed the earpiece back into his ear.

“All Sentinel teams, radio check.”

He gasped a relieved breath when he heard Mitchell reply.

“Sentinel two-two. Radio check. Charlie Lima.” Mitchell said, Gideon’s voice soon following.

“Sentinel two-one, loud and clear. So what the fuck are we supposed to do now?”

“Solid copy,” Cormack began, glaring daggers at the screens. “Descend and hold position at the carrier, I’m enroute.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry there wasn't that much Gidchell fluff, things were too hectic to squeeze it in. NEXT CHAPTER I SWEAR.


	8. Armada

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took SO FREAKIN' LONG to upload, I've been otherwise occupied for the past week or so with work n stuff, y'all know how it is.
> 
> Anywhale, I keep forgetting, because I'm an idiot, that I should probably put an explanation (that really should've been done in chapter one) about the title of this fic because it's weird and the dictionary doesn't actually know it (I think). Uhtceare is an old (really old) English word meaning 'lying awake before dawn and worrying' and I thought in the beginning that it suited the style of the story I had in mind well. And so there you have it, I'm not a crazy weirdo putting random letters together ;D
> 
> This chapter may not be my best, I'm sorry, but I hope you all enjoy it and that it's not too OOC

**Chapter Eight**

San Francisco, California, USA

June 15th, 2060

0930 HRS

 

* * *

  
****

“Jesus.” Gideon muttered, lowering himself to the ground as the area around the two continued to burn in flames. They waited patiently for Cormack to descend down when they heard the warbird over head. Neither could see him until he was right in front of them, the thick red smoke blocking the view.

Cormack arrived beside them and kneeled down. “Atlas is trying to take control of the carrier’s weapons systems. We need to get jammers on those railguns and buy our technicians some time.”

“We’ve got enemy troops all over the carrier.” Gideon protested.

“They’re gonna try and take the ship’s bridge. Let’s move.”

Gideon turned to Mitchell as Cormack got to his feet.

“We won’t let them get away with this.” He said, his eyes sharp and voice clipped.

Mitchell nodded, hauling himself to his feet and boosting above the wreckage with the team before sprinting down what was left of the bridge.

Once over, Mitchell had to duck behind a tipped over truck.

“Contact by the jet!”

They leapt onto a helipad and ducked behind a dozen crates. Cormack turned to Mitchell and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Get to the railgun and plant the jammer!” He yelled over the noise. Mitchell nodded and turned, sliding off the raised platform and calculating the best possible route in his head. There wasn’t one.

He sprinted across the ground, using his boost to leap up when there were too many circling him. He would wait until they accumulated before dropping a grenade in the middle of them. He got lucky the first few times he did that until they started to get the message. He raced above platforms, ducking between crates, large guns and other machinery to stop himself from getting gang shot.

“Go Mitchell, I’m covering your six.” He heard Gideon say over the comm.

Without further ado, he raced forward, clearing out the Atlas soldiers on the next platform before boosting up to it, taking cover behind more stacked crates.

“Mitchell, you’re clear, go!”

Jack didn’t need telling twice.

He hurried forward and leapt onto the small railed platform where he’d need to plant the jammer.

“Alright, set the jammer!” Cormack ordered over the comm.

He pushed it on the metal, pulling the lever down and waiting until it had adjusted and stuck to the wall before letting go and leaping off.

Knox informed him of the next location for the second jammer and Mitchell turned a one-eighty, racing towards it.

“Two warbirds coming in from the west!” Cormack warned over the comm.

Mitchell hurried past the crates and down an abandoned part of the road, bypassing the landing warbird.

“Atlas coppers inbound! Tangos are fast zipping in!” Gideon called over the comm.

Mitchell stopped and leant against a wall beside three crates, taking a breather. He peeked out, seeing a dozen soldiers racing in the opposite direction. He reloaded his gun quickly, hurrying out past the crates and towards the next jammer.

“Shit! Mitchell! That warbird has a bead on you! Take cover—now!”

Mitchell internally groaned irritably and dove behind the cover of more crates. A second later, a line of bullets were fired in his direction and he was forced out of his cover, sprinting down the road desperately trying to find safety behind another raised platform that was close to the second jammer position. He boosted on top of a raised platform just in time to see the chopper lining up behind Knox.

“Shit—Knox!”

Mitchell sprinted forward and leapt at his comrade, hauling him to the ground as the two toppled off the platform.

“You okay?” Mitchell asked, his voice rushed. Knox nodded, pushing himself up.

“Thanks Mitchell.” Knox said, grabbing Mitchell’s hand and helping him up.

The two slipped between platforms, Knox leading him to the next jammer point.

“Alright Mitchell,” He said. “It’s up there!”

“Got it,” Mitchell said, casting a glance around. “Watch my six.”

“Roger.”

Mitchell boosted up onto the platform and rolled towards some crates. At long last, he reached the second jammer point and slammed the machine against it and loading it.

“That should slow them down.” Gideon called over the comm.

“Railguns are secured! We’re heading to the bridge.”

Mitchell nodded to Knox and he ran on ahead. Mitchell finished with the jammer and hurried after Knox, forcing past the Atlas soldiers and taking out the ones Knox hadn’t killed yet. After a few seconds, Cormack was in sight and Mitchell hurried forwards, boosting the last part of the way and landing behind Gideon.

The captain turned and the crease between his brows lessened. He rotated his hand so his palm was facing up and Mitchell reached forward, slapping it with his own.

“Kill your boosters.” Cormack ordered. “I don’t need anyone breaking their neck.”

The team hurried through an abandoned ship, pushing past the starting fires and the dripping oils.

“We need to get to the bridge.” Cormack said, Knox and Gideon covering his position as he opened one of the sealed doors.

Once open, they pushed through the slanted hall.

Cormack swore when the power overhead flickered out. “Power’s out. Switch to night vision.”

Mitchell adjusted his sight to night vision and slipped through a doorway behind Gideon.

“Contact!”

“Clear ‘em out!”

Mitchell slid behind a cabinet, poking his head around the side to shoot some advancing Atlas soldiers who hadn’t seen him yet and were moving in on Gideon’s and Cormack’s position.

He moved forward to Gideon’s side when the area was clear, only to get knocked back by someone who must’ve approached from behind him.

He hit the floor hard, his head spinning and back protesting painfully as he tried to roll over and get up.

Gideon slammed the end of his gun into the offender’s nose and shot him, kicking the lifeless body out of the way and outstretching a hand for Mitchell to take.

The team slowly pushed forwards through the room, taking cover behind crates and abandoned desks until they were lining up outside another door.

Mitchell threw a grenade inside, backing up to the left and entering after Cormack who took out the stragglers.

“This way!” Cormack motioned forwards and they passed through the narrow hall, single file.

They had only just passed through another doorway when Kingpin’s voice came on over the comm.

“Atlas has taken the bridge. Arclight security is being compromised. They’ve bypassed our jammers.”

“We have to break through to the other side of the hangar deck!” Cormack yelled over the noise as they finally emerged out another door onto the hangar deck.

All Atlas soldiers on sight open fired immediately and forced the team into cover.

“Fast zip at our twelve!” Gideon called out a couple meters from Mitchell’s position.

Mitchell turned his attention in that direction just in time to shoot the incoming Atlas soldier.

Mitchell rolled out from the cover and began moving forward, Knox and Cormack close behind.

“AST!”

Mitchell grimaced, nearly leaping out of his skin when the AST rounded the same corner and slammed it’s arm against his chest, sending him hurtling backwards.

“Mitchell!”

He didn’t see how or from where, but Gideon was beside him a second later, helping him to his feet.

“You alright mate?”

Mitchell nodded numbly, dragging in an uncomfortable breath as he steadied himself.

Knox threw an EMP in the general direction of the AST and Mitchell could hear it hit the ground. Mitchell wasn’t in time to end it’s life though unfortunately and the thing chased him around half the complex before Mitchell had a chance to get it to it’s knees again and plant it’s head full of bullets.

“Mitchell!” Cormack yelled. “Over here!”

Mitchell raced across the rest of the deck and under a jet wing before reaching the team, standing by another door.

Gideon opened it and headed in first, Mitchell behind him.

They hurried up a short flight of stairs before passing through an open door.

Kingpin’s voice clicked “Those drones are tearing up our fleet. We just lost another boat.”

Cormack swore under his breath and paused mid-run, casting a cursory glance around their surroundings. After a moment, he pushed forwards again.

“We’re almost at the bridge!”

“Up those stairs!”

“Lights out! Switch back to night vision!”

They pushed up another pair of stairs, the surroundings orange and bright, almost giving Mitchell a headache.

“Kingpin, requesting authorisation to engage Arclight. Security code Alpha-Zulu-Tango-Nine-Nine-Seven.”

“Authorisation granted Sentinel zero-one. Put the hurt on them soldier. We can’t afford to lose another ship.”

“Copy that.”

Cormack and Knox lead the way up a short staircase, clearing out new advancing Atlas soldiers as Mitchell and Gideon followed closely behind, picking off the stragglers.

“Up ahead!”

They sailed through another narrow hallway and through a promising door.

Cormack shot the unsuspecting Atlas soldier and headed towards the front of the bridge.

“Okay, linking in. I need you to target for me Mitchell, get on that terminal.”

Mitchell nodded and shuffled a few paces to the left beside Cormack.

“Alright—target that cargo ship!”

Mitchell shot in a line, blowing up bits of the cargo ship until the whole thing exploded, propelling the warbirds circling it like vultures back.

“Cargo ship is down! Switching to the second ship.”

A warbird swung in close and Mitchell shot it first before swivelling towards the next cargo ship, forcing it to meet the same fate as the last.

“She’s down.” Gideon voiced from somewhere behind the private.

“Sentinel zero-one, all enemy ships accounted for and destroyed. Good work, team.”

Mitchell backed up from the console and turned to face Gideon who was looking out of the large windows.

“Fucking hell.” He muttered. “There’s no turning back from this.”

Knox bobbed his head slightly in agreement. “What happens next?”

“Next? Irons just murdered thousands of innocent people on U.S. soil. Next,” Cormack turned to face the team. “we hunt him down and we bury him.”

Gideon tapped Knox’s shoulder and nodded at him before turning and walking out behind Cormack.

*

Back at HQ, Knox was sealed tight against his computers and Cormack was in and out of two hour long meetings with Kingpin on a regular basis.

Ilona was waiting for Mitchell outside his door. She knew how he functioned, knew his routines. Probably perks from being an ex-spetsnaz. She knew after irritating or more-tiring-than-usual missions he often holed up in his quarters and slept until it was time to eat.

“Ilona,” He greeted, slightly cautiously.

“I heard about your run in with the AST,” She said. “I think you should probably have it checked out.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Did Gideon put you up to this?”

“Put me up to what?”

Mitchell hesitated before shaking his head.

“Cormack filed the report and I was looking it over. You’re supposed to take routine check overs, you missed your slot, I’m here to drag your defying ass over there to get yourself checked.”

Mitchell chuckled and pulled a hand through his hair. His chest did throb a little bit, now that he thought about it. It couldn’t hurt to have a quick check over although he really wanted to get _some_ sleep before it was time to train.

“Alright,” He agreed at last.

They walked the short distance to the medical bay, Ilona inputting a password.

“Ok, take a seat.” She said once the door slid open, sounding mildly amused.

“I hope I’m not your doll or something to satisfy your sudden medical curiosity.” Mitchell grumbled, hopping up onto the table and lifting off his grey sentinel shirt.

Ilona said nothing and stared at the long dark bruise on Mitchell’s chest. She assessed it silently before lifting her right hand and pressing her slender fingers lightly against the marking.

Mitchell winced slightly.

“It’s pretty bad. If it had hit you harder, it might’ve shattered your ribs.” She said. Shuffling back, she opened a small box case and lifting a white and purple tube. She squeezed out some clear cream and walked back over to Mitchell, rubbing the tips of her fingers together before gently spreading the cream across the bruise. “But this should help it heal faster. It’ll make it less painful to wear a flak jacket.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.” he said with a shrug as her fingers glided over his skin. It felt pretty nice, the cream was cool and felt good on his heated skin.

“About Gideon,” She suddenly began, Mitchell’s heart giving an uncomfortable stutter.

“What about Gideon?”

“It’s none of my business, but I just don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

Mitchell’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

Ilona glanced up and met his gaze. “I’ve known him for a long time,” she continued. “and he’s never once mentioned anyone—like having a family or wife or girlfriend (or boyfriend). I don’t know what you two are—and I am happy for you Mitchell, I really am, it’s just,” She gives him a light one shoulder shrug. “I’m worried about you both and how this is affecting your work in the field.”

“I wasn’t aware it was affecting anything.” Mitchell deadpanned, his body tensing.

Ilona shook her head. “Not so much you, but more...Gideon.”

Mitchell, confused again, leaned his head to the side slightly. “I don’t understand.”

She looked like she was about to explain, but when she spoke again, it didn’t seem like what she wanted to initially say. “I know you both don’t have much time to talk these days—no one does. But—”

“Is there something wrong with him that I don’t know about?”

He felt his heart rate increase and his palms begin to sweat and it occurred to him that maybe this is what she was talking about. Had they not been performing as usual? He could understand why that would be an issue, but Cormack hadn’t mentioned anything.

Ilona shook her head. “I think it’s just hard for someone like him to open up and now that he has… that person is always in danger.” She shrugged. “I may not know exactly how he feels but I assume it’s my concern for something happening to anyone on this squad multiplied by a thousand.” She smiled slightly.

After a long moment of silence, Ilona closed the medical kit and slid it back into a drawer. “I’ll note in your check up.”

“Thanks.” He said after a moment, still contemplating the rest of what she had said as she backed out of the room.

*

Dinner had been a silent affair. No one was really in the mood for talking and Mitchell didn’t blame them. Gideon had avoided him the entire evening though, and that didn't sit well. Mitchell had seen him briefly once, grabbing some food before ascending back down the hallway he’d come from.

Mitchell had eaten quickly after that and left for his quarters. Briefing was scheduled early the next day and he didn’t particularly want to stay up all night trying to track down Gideon. When Gideon didn’t want to be found, no one could find him. Not even Mitchell.

Briefing the next morning at 0500 was just as awkward and unsettling as the night before. Gideon didn’t speak to him nor sit beside him in the meeting like he usually did and the only reason he managed to get some time with him was for jet training and that was because Cormack paired them up due to ‘similar skill levels’. In any case, that was awkward too, sitting in a cockpit with someone who was supposed to want to, well, _kiss_ _you_ or hug you or whatever other affection deemed necessary to convey your attraction or love to the other person so that they didn’t start freaking out that you were going to break up with them, not that that mattered either because they weren’t technically _going steady_ or whatever, which actually made the entire situation worse because was it really Jack’s place to demand ‘what the fuck’ and start a screaming match?

He’d stayed silent during the training, only talking when it was necessary and it was actually pretty depressing that it had come to this—that Mitchell hadn’t been able to speak to Gideon like he usually could, and it made him pretty miserable to say the least. When he almost accidentally crashed the simulator, he quickly realised that this was proving Ilona’s point and that when it came to the importance of the missions, he needed to be able to separate his personal issues from work. He then proceeded to shift all the irritation and confusion towards Gideon into the shit-I-can’t-change pile and tried his best to continue with the training.

It worked thankfully until he was finally ordered to the weaponry unit for an introduction to new grenade launchers that some genius thought would be useful in the upcoming inevitable battle. He all but ran out of the cockpit of the jet, breathing in the fresh air rapidly after being cooped up in a small space with someone who didn’t want to talk to him let alone be around him.

Forcing it down, as it appeared, was not the best decision because Mitchell was angry for the next day and a half—he was pissed. He was confused and irritated and hurt because he didn’t understand what the hell was wrong with Gideon. He was a hard enough man to read already without Mitchell having to now deal with the oh-so-stoic captain suddenly realising he had developed some kind of emotional attachment—that he obviously wasn’t ready for—to, heaven forbid, another human being.

“I can see you shaking from here.” Knox said, a box labelled ‘ammo’ under each arm.

Mitchell let out an explosive sigh and cracked his knuckles. “Just a bit on edge.” He managed.

Knox raised his eyebrows. “I can see that.” Knox placed the boxes beside the rest of the rest of the larger crates in the storage room. “Wanna talk it out man?”

Mitchell grimaced. He couldn’t really imagine how Knox would react to it. He didn’t particularly want to spring his problems on the man either. “Nah, it’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing.”

Mitchell shrugged. “Just this whole deal is fucking stupid.” He said at last.

“Irons?”

“Irons.”

“Yeah, got that right.”

“I feel like…” Mitchell paused, his arms raised as he tried to emphasize all the emotion he had towards the man. “Like we should go back and...rob him.” he finished lamely.

Knox laughed out loud, taking a seat on the crate next to Mitchell.

“Listen,” Knox said. “If there’s something wrong you know you can talk it out.”

Mitchell nodded. “It’s not a priority right now. Just trying to focus on being ready for, you know.”

Knox nodded, standing up. “Just—you know—maybe getting it out of your system will be better.”

Mitchell lifted his hand in a goodbye gesture thoughtfully when Knox smiled and tapped his shoulder, heading out of the storage room.

 

Mitchell ended up avoiding the issue for five more days until it got unbearable and he was loosing more sleep. He had never really been one for relationships, but neither had Gideon and he’d hoped they’d be able to figure it out together.

It was seven pm when Mitchell finally forced himself to go to Gideon’s room. He stood outside for one full minute before knocking at long last.

There was no answer, as expected, so Mitchell knocked again, out of courtesy before trying the door handle. It opened into a dark room and Mitchell felt around the wall to his right to flick the switch.

Light flooded the room and Gideon rolled over in his bunk, sitting up a moment later.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

Gideon said nothing for a moment. “Trying to sleep here Mitchell, can this wait?”

Mitchell felt slightly guilty for a moment, if he truly did wake Gideon up because sleep was hard to come by these days, but then he remembered why he was here and that quickly doused the guilt.

Mitchell stepped inside the small room and closed the door. “Can we talk?”

Gideon said nothing, his head bent over and pressing into his palm.

Anger spiked in Mitchell’s body and he grit his teeth. “Are you going to say something or just sit around like a tasteless room fixture?”

Gideon sighed, and the noise was strained.

“Why aren’t you speaking to me? Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something?”

Gideon didn’t answer again and Mitchell clucked his tongue, crossing his arms and looking to his left.

"I can't do this." Gideon muttered finally, his jaw setting and clenching tightly.

Mitchell's eyebrows drew together and he turned to face Gideon again.

"Do what?" He asked, his voice a little too strained, even to his own ears.

"The reason I tried to keep personal relationships separate from this job was because people die every day and—" he trailed off.

"Do you think ending _this_ now is going to keep me safe? Keep you safe? Ending this won't change anything Gideon!" Mitchell swallowed hard, fisting his hands within his pockets.

Gideon gnawed the tender flesh of his cheek, his gaze glued to his laced fingers.

There was a long painful moment of silence before Mitchell spoke again, his voice softer—quiet.

"Could you?"

Gideon hesitated. "What?"

"End this? Right now? Is that what you want? If that’s what it is then just say it. I don’t feel like dancing around you for another two weeks."

Gideon lifted his arm and dragged his hand through his hair. No. It wasn't what he wanted. But maybe if he stopped it now, he wouldn't have to deal with the heart wrenching pain that came with this job—losing people to this job. Maybe if he ended it now, pushed his feelings back until they disappeared, it would be better. For both of them. He already had mini heart attacks every time Mitchell wasn't in his sight.

Gideon was silent for a long time and Mitchell's heart rate gradually slowed down from a gallop to a painful throb.

"I get it," Mitchell said at last, thinking back to his conversation with Ilona. "You don't want to deal with what would happen if I died."

Gideon looked up. "Do you get it? Isn't that also what you—don't you think about that?"

"Every day," Mitchell answered honestly and then gave Gideon a one shoulder shrug. "But I still want to be with you—and if you do die, I still want to be with you and not...not—” He paused, his skin feeling hot and prickly, putting him on edge. “It's like you're afraid to feel anything and if something happened to me it would mean you'd actually have to feel an ounce of human emotion for once and—" Mitchell stopped, realising that his voice was loud and clipped again, his throat aching suddenly and his chest tightening painfully. Every thought—every emotion he had been trying to bury for another day flooding forward too fast and too hard. For a second, he didn't recognise the noises he was making, the thick uneven gasps as he tried to suck in a breath and the hurt look on Gideon’s face.

People important to him had died before. People he loved and cared about more than his own life. Will's death was hard and painful and he thought about it every day, thought about the what ifs and fantasized about what it may have been like if it had gone differently—but the thought of Gideon actually dying in the field was...worse than everything else.

Because Gideon was Gideon, he'd never really allowed himself to feel what he might feel—to think what he might think if that really happened.

Mitchell struggled forwards and before he realised it, he was reaching for him.

Gideon's hand automatically lifted and captured his and it felt so right. His thumb felt so right against his palm, his deft fingers gentle against his wrist.

He didn't want to lose this. He didn't want to live life without Gideon. He couldn't. Not now.

"If we have limited time," Mitchell began slowly. "Then I want to spend it all _with_ you, and not as a comrade but something more.”

Gideon's jaw tensed visibly and Mitchell continued, his heart beat speeding up again.

"But," he continued. "If it's what you want—if you want to stop this, if it’ll give you some sort of...peace of mind then—” Mitchell took a silent breath. “then we'll stop."

Gideon's lips parted, but no sound came out and he was just staring at Mitchell's face.

"It'll be like old times." He joked feebly.

Gideon grasped Mitchell's wrist and his head fell forwards, coming to rest on their joined hands.

Gideon swallowed. Who was he kidding? He was already in too deep. No amount of avoidance could get rid of this between them now. It wouldn't make a death any easier. It would be hard either way. He was being an idiot.

 _Stop running away from everything_ he thought, pulling Mitchell's hand until the private stumbled forwards and pressed his hand against the captain’s shoulder to try and steady himself.

Gideon's hands released Mitchell's and circled around his waist, his forehead resting heavily against the other man's abdomen.

“What’s that saying? It’s better to have loved and lost than never loved at all?”

Mitchell smiled ruefully. “Something like that.”

There was a short silence before Gideon spoke again.

“Don't die.”

Mitchell chuckled mirthlessly. "Can't promise anything."

Gideon head butted him and he choked on his next laugh.

"But I'll do my best."

Mitchell embedded his hands within Gideon's hair and tugged gently. "You too."

Gideon mumbled something unintelligible against his grey t-shirt and Mitchell sighed fondly.

“Do you want to stay here tonight?” He heard Gideon mutter, and it wasn’t so much as a question but a request.

Mitchell pulled himself free of Gideon's hold and pushed the older man down onto the bed, settling behind him and pulling him close against his chest before slipping his real hand over Gideon’s side and lacing their fingers together.

“Hey—”

“Just shut up will you?” Mitchell murmured against his shoulder. “I just want to hold you right now and it doesn’t make you any less of a man or whatever other shitty thoughts you’re thinking.”

Gideon mumbled something but didn’t protest when Mitchell pulled him even closer so that their bodies were flush and he could press kisses to Gideon’s neck.

He noticed the moment Gideon fell asleep because his grip got slightly tighter, as if he was afraid Mitchell wouldn’t be there when he woke up and it made the private’s chest fill with the warmth he’d missed the past few weeks. For once, his mind was silent and he, too, was able to fall into a dreamless sleep.


	9. Throttle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I am so sorry for the delay (yet again) with this chapter!! I've been writing another Gideon/Jack fic and so this one took a little while. I'm planning on starting the next chapter now so it won't (shouldn't) take as long as this one and the last one did. I've been pretty excited to write the Captured chapter so hopefully that's incentive enough for my lazy self! That and I really want to add in a significant amount of Gideon/Jack moments to make up for the lack in this chapter.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter Nine**

New Baghdad, Iraq

January 8th, 2061

1000 HRS

* * *

“The world is asking one question. Why did I attack the United States? The United States has had the world in a constant state of war for over a hundred years. Time and again we have seen the catastrophic results of this belligerent, militaristic policy. These wars haven’t led to resolution, or peace. These wars have only led to more wars. The United States has set the agenda because they wielded the biggest stick. Well no more. This is not the beginning of a war, this is the end of all wars.”

*

After San Francisco, the entire free world turned against Atlas. Irons entrenched himself at his headquarters in New Baghdad, all communications ceased. Both sides knew what was coming. Our mission was to fly in with the 37th Airborne during the initial shock and awe campaign. From there, we would break off and infiltrate the Atlas Command Center, taking out Irons. For Cormack it was the end of a journey. He’d been waiting five years for this day.

“Last minute change of plan.” Kingpin informed Cormack as they walked across the airfield. “You’ll be flanking around from the east and north covering Blue Team on their sortie over the target.”

“Yes sir.” Cormack answered. “Guess I’ve got the soft option.”

Kingpin raised an eyebrow and came to a stop just in front of Mitchell and Gideon.

“There are no soft options on the table.” He said. “I just don’t want all my assets in play at once. We’re only going to have one shot at getting the bastard.”

Cormack gave a curt nod. “That’s all we’ll need.”

He sounded very sure, Mitchell noted. There wasn’t one waver in Cormack’s voice as he spoke.

Kingpin’s voice softened and he gave a nod of his own. “I know it. Just stay alive. You’re our star witness when we drag his ass in front of the Hague.”

There was a barely visible tug at the corner of Cormack’s mouth, itching to break into a smirk. “Looking forward to it.”

Kingpin offered a smile and clapped Cormack on the shoulder. “Alright, good luck.”

Cormack turned to Mitchell and Gideon, outstretching his hand. Gideon took it without hesitation, holding Cormack’s gloved hand with a strong grip because really they were friends—they were all in this together now and he was hoping that they’d all be in this together _still_ for years to come— but maybe with less war and more barbecues.   

Cormack nodded and turned to Mitchell who nodded back and he thought perhaps he saw a smile in Cormack’s eyes as the man squeezed his hand firmly once and turned to leave.

Mitchell turned to face Gideon who was watching Cormack go before turning his attention to the floor briefly and then finally meeting Mitchell’s gaze.

It was probably sickeningly cheesy and silly but Mitchell let his gloved fingers tangle with Gideon’s briefly as they too began to walk, releasing only when they had to part to enter their two separate jets and there were already a whole new batch of nerves at the pit of Mitchell’s stomach. Either they were going to get through this and for all intents and purpose save the world, or they were going to lose and most probably die.

*

“Kingpin,” Gideon began over the comm link. “Sentinel 2-1 approaching APC Romeo Victor Nought at Angels 5.”

“Roger that. Maintain low level flight from there to New Baghdad. Kingpin out.”

“Sentinel Flight, fence in. Engage anything that doesn’t have a Sentinel beacon.”

The mountainous passage was too narrow and there was far too much going on for Mitchell’s liking. He’d always sort of had a love-hate relationship with mountains. Can’t say he really knew why. Maybe it was all those vaguely irritating hiking trips with his extended family he had to attend.

“3 bandits ahead, Jack. 12 o’clock low. Time to start bumping heads.”

Mitchell bit the inside of his cheek childishly, trying not to smile. “Roger that.”

Increasing speed, Mitchell avoided a large boulder that was protruding from one of the crevices in the mountain and shot at the three enemies that Gideon had pointed out moments before. He didn’t see the bridge ahead until it was almost too late but managed to veer right and beneath it, rescuing the wings of his craft from the jagged edges of the cliff edge on his left.

“Watch those tracers.”

Veering left once there was more space, Mitchell avoided a close encounter with another jet. It was about to intercept another Sentinel craft and Mitchell aimed for the horizontal stabiliser and fired, the jet skewing to the right and spinning into a cliff.

A relieved voice from the adjacent Sentinel craft came on over the comm a few seconds later. “Thanks for the cover fire, you saved my tail.”

Mitchell looked over at the cockpit and lifted two fingers two his forehead in a salute that was eagerly returned by the pilot before zooming forwards and swerving gracefully past an unfortunately placed rock formation.

“More bandits coming over the ridge at 2 o’clock!” Knox informed.

“Taken care of.” Gideon answered and Mitchell watched his jet roll in front of him and zap forwards.

Mitchell smirked. “Show off.”

There was an explosion a little to the left of Mitchell’s position.

“Target destroyed.”

“Bravo Zulu.”

“Flak ahead!” Knox warned.

“Stay below it or use your blower to power past.”

Mitchell did the latter but there was another jet below him and he had to swerve to the right.

“Jack, watch that flak!”

Mitchell did a roll of his own, avoiding the falling debris from the boulder up above him that had been pulverised seconds ago.

“Phalanx drones ahead. Four birds merging in at 12 o’clock!”

Mitchell open fired and just managed to avoid being caught up in his own explosion when yet another bolder was flying straight for his wing. He pulled up and veered to his left, Knox clearing the threat. With a light sigh of relief, Mitchell pushed forward until he came across a fork in the fly zone.

“I’ll take the right canyon.” Gideon said over the comm, his jet zipping past Mitchell’s and diving past the cliff edges.

“Taking the left. Watch your six, Mitchell.” Knox added a second later, zooming past in the other direction.

Mitchell contemplated for less then a second before choosing to go the same way as Gideon (ta-dah no surprise there) and had a small freak out when the sky darkened above him where clusters of debris were aiming straight for his glass protected head.

“Watch out for debris!”

Mitchell swerved and managed to avoid all the large rocks, escaping with just a few dusty marks on the fragile cockpit roof. He pulled up and proceeded to roll to his left, the officially safer of the two canyons, and followed after Knox instead, not particularly wanting another run in with the excessive amount of rockfall from the right.

Mitchell swerved between the large rock formations, taking care not to go too far off to the right or left. Once out of the immediate danger, Mitchell tagged three of the Atlas jets, firing his missiles and dipping low to avoid the shots being fired from above.

“Lock on to those hard points and hit ‘em with your missiles,” Gideon ordered.

“Target destroyed.”

“Alright good—watch out for debris. Bandit closing in on your six, Jack.”

Mitchell did a turn circle, ducking low and shooting up at the enemy who was now in front of him.

“Taken care of.”

“Bridge out ahead!”

“Heavy debris!” Gideon shouted. “Evasive maneuvers!”

Mitchell swerved and avoided the debris above, ducking low to pass through a ruined bridge.

“Crossing ACP5.”

“12 o’clock, four bandits playing chicken.” Knox informed. “They’re coming back around—6 o’clock high!”

“Targets destroyed.”

“Five nautical miles to the RV point.”

“In my sights. Command, this is Sentinel Zero One on final approach to New Baghdad.”

“Copy, Zero One. Enemy air defense perimeter in 1.5 klicks.”

“Commencing drop sequence.”

“Autopilot engaged.”

Mitchell hit a few buttons on the pad in front of him, shifting back in his seat and readying himself for the drop.

“Pod deployment successful.” Gideon said. “1200 meters to target. Minimizing system power. Switching over to low detection.”

“Copy all Zero-One. Your squad is off the radar.”

“Two-One, we’re bearing three one five magnetic at cherubs four, distance: two nautical miles from the target, over.”

“Connecting the heads up to the battlefield network.” Knox replied.

“Our main target is the Atlas command center where Irons is directing the war effort from deep inside.” Gideon informed. “Multiple MD turrets have been placed as air defenses around the city. We need to take them out in order to reach the command center.”

“Distance to target, two hundred meters.”

“Switch off heads up to prepare for touchdown.”

*

“Coming in hot!”

“Gonna be a rough landing!”

“Reverse thrusters!”

Mitchell braced himself as the pod skidded onto the ground, bouncing off the broken tiles and zipping through umbrellaed tables and chairs, shaking his body. He pressed his palms against the edges of the mechanism and as soon as he saw an opening, he pushed himself out and rolled across the concrete, watching the pod continue onwards, slamming into anything and everything.

“Wild ride in. Let’s meet up with Sergeant Davis.” Gideon said from somewhere in front of Mitchell.

“We’re trying to advance,” Ilona began. “But those MD turrets are tearing up our air support.”

Mitchell followed behind Gideon, using his grapple to haul himself up on top of buildings and in through balconies.

“Copy all,” His captain said. “We’ll go high and see if we can get behind the enemy line.”

“There’s the target building—dead ahead!”

“Davis,” Gideon called out. “We’re advancing on the target building now.”

As Mitchell grappled across a backed up road, Davis replied over the comm link. “Copy all. We’re sending two more squads your way.”

Mitchell ducked down and spun his leg out to drop an advancing soldier to the floor, quickly hopping up and shooting him and the next one that was coming before racing on ahead.

Gideon checked over his shoulder when he heard the shots, turning back around when he saw Mitchell safe and hurrying forward.

“Command Sentinel Two-One actual. We’re rerouting to assist the 95th in breaking the enemy line.”

Mitchell glanced up at one of the many glass clad buildings where the turrets were placed.

“Davis we’re in position at the target building. Moving to eliminate turrets.”

Mitchell grappled over the side of the rail tracks he was racing on and breezed past a few Atlas soldiers, walking below the turrets and out of their eyeline whilst looking for a suitable place to grapple up. He sidestepped and dodged a few large crates before he managed to line up at the edge of the first building. The glass balcony rail was just in reach and he would be over it in less then a minute. Once he shot his line and was pulled up, he open fired on the soldiers that were already crowding the roof. The startled soldiers whirled and fired at Mitchell who managed to dodge the bullets whilst simultaneously rolling sideways and kneecapping them and taking his chance to push them off the building. He stared at the turret, his mind ticking over with possibilities. After a cursory glance above, he hauled himself up and dug his fingers into the slight opening, yanking it apart and yanking the shocked Atlas soldier out by his neck.

“Move, we need those turrets down!” Gideon demanded over the comm link.

“Working on it!” Mitchell replied.

“Turret is down!” Knox informed when Mitchell slipped in the recently vacated one, taking hold of the controls.

“Good work, Jack.” Gideon said. “Hit the rest.”

Mitchell swiveled the nose of the turret and began shooting at the other turret on the adjacent roof. It exploded, taking the people around it with it. The next one was a little more tricky to reach because it’s body was hidden by the roof, but Mitchell managed to shoot the nose and it exploded. He scanned the area one more time before lifting himself out and sliding off the edge of the turret and gracefully leaping off the side of the roof, landing on bits of building one his way down before rolling across the floor and racing towards his squad.

“We’ve got multiple ASTs joining the Atlas ground forced.” Knox informed loudly over the comm.

“Aye.” Gideon answered. “Let’s sort these bastards then get to Irons.”

Mitchell watched his squad begin to advance upon the ASTs and he was about to, as well, before stopping and turning a 180 to go the other way. He raced back towards the turret he had used previously and slid inside, taking the controls and aiming down towards the ASTs.

Mitchell shot at the AST repeatedly until it let out a small explosion and fell to the ground. He saw Knox and the others that had been nearing it back off and cast questioning glances up at the turret. Knox was the first to understand and wave his hands to clear the rest of the men from the ASTs, instead flanking from the left to cover the areas Mitchell couldn’t quite reach.

Mitchell moved onto the next AST and shot it down, swerving the nose of the turret to try find the last one. It was too far away and out of range from anyone’s shots.

“Can’t get the last one,” Mitchell informed, pushing himself out of the turret and sliding off the roof. “Flank from the right, it’s coming past that building.”

“Roger that.” Knox replied.

Mitchell ducked beneath the bridge and boosted up the stairs towards the side of the building, cycling a grenade before chucking it to the right. He flinched back when a bullet grazed the side of his arm and then his cheek. He ducked behind the concrete wall and threw a grenade over in the enemy’s general direction, pushing forwards low and trying to sneak up on the next one he saw before knifing him down.

Mitchell was nearly blown back when the AST caught him in it’s sights and he was forced to find a new way around, jumping to the left over the edge of the glass balcony. Mitchell advanced from the left, climbing up buildings and running across tracks to reach the edge of the building the AST was perching on. Hopefully it would still be there when he got there. It was—shooting down below at the Sentinel soldiers, giving Mitchell a perfect opportunity to sneak up behind it.

“Oh shit—” Mitchell backed up when three Atlas soldier poured down from the side of the track where he was heading, shooting as they walked. Suddenly, two of them dropped and Mitchell saw Ilona move up behind him and slap his back with her hand, offering him a smile which he heartily returned.

He continued onward, leaving the last soldier to Ilona whilst he raced towards the AST. Ilona hurried up behind him, forcing the soldiers that were advancing back as Mitchell squared up with the AST. Mitchell cycled two grenades whilst the AST raced towards him, shoving large crates out of the way with it’s equally large arms, the thumping coming from it’s feet rather daunting to say the least.

Two grenades and three emptied magazines later, the AST was down and Mitchell was able to push forward with Ilona.

“Atlas heavy armor ahead!” She shouted.

“Grab cover,” Gideon ordered. “Those tanks will tear us apart in the open!”

“Gideon!” Knox called. “Give me cover fire, weapon cache dead ahead!”

Mitchell felt a strange flutter panic in his gut as he watched below, hiding behind a bunch of stacked crates next to Ilona.

“Mitchell, you’re with Knox,” Gideon said a moment later, his voice hard. “grab those stingers while we cover you.”

Mitchell nodded to nobody and raced forward, punching and advancing enemy in the face and continuing, leaping over the side of the balcony and sliding down a roof towards the stinger that was by a bunch of parked trucks.

“Grab it!” Knox yelled. “I’m covering you!”

 _Oh I certainly hope so_. Mitchell thought warily, watching the multitude of Atlas forces closing on them. He bent down and grabbed the stinger, backing up so that he was beside Knox.

“Shit—drone swarm!”

The drones filled in and some paused above him and Knox and Mitchell watched in horror as it dawned on him. He felt adrenaline race through his heated veins and a thick pressure seep up his sternum, forcing his heart to throb painfully against his breastbone.

“KNOX MOVE!” Mitchell all but screamed, grabbing his friend’s arm and trying desperately to catapult him away from their position but he couldn't—so he quickly pushed Knox to the ground, trying to cover him with his own body but it was too late.

“Goddamn he did it—he—he did it _he fucking did it!"_

Mitchell pushed himself up and pulled Knox up in his arms.

“Knox! _Knox_! Shit—”

“What’s happening!?” Ilona yelled, racing towards the two and dropping to her knees beside them her hand pressed against Knox’s chest.

“Knox is down!” Gideon shouted, skidding to a stop beside them and kneeling down as well. “I need immediate medevac on my location!”

Knox flailed and Mitchell caught his hand, holding it tightly.

“No—it’s Manticore—we’ve got to pull back g...get everyone o... _out!_ ”

Mitchell’s arms tightened and his breath became shallow and laboured just as Knox’s grip became weak and feeble, the eyes that bore into his own with fear and urgency slowly becoming unfocused and losing their light. The man became limp in Mitchell’s arms and Jack felt that familiar heat beneath his eyes and the tingling pain erupt in his nose. Jack didn’t listen as the others fussed around him.

“Why aren’t we affected?!”

“Irons engineered it to be harmless to his own troops. The three of us must have been inoculated.”

Mitchell placed Knox on the ground when shots started firing upon them.

“Return fire!” Gideon yelled, taking Knox’s hand and trying to drag him to safety.

“Gideon! Fuck—!” Mitchell made a frantic grab for Gideon who was pushed back by a gunshot. He tried to stay low, crawling across the floor to reach him but he too was shoved back by a shot and his sight immediately blackened.

“ _Citizens of New Baghdad, hold strong. Victory is within our grasp. Look around you, and you will see our enemies fall one by one. Each and every one of you can be agents of change. Yes, we will suffer losses. We will suffer setbacks. But, make no mistake. We will win_.”

His whole body burned and he fought to open his eyes, staring at the large screen above him of Irons. The reaction was instantaneous, Mitchell’s chest filled with rage and hate and frustrated tears pooled in his eyes and rolled down over the bridge of his nose and cheeks. He outstretched his hand feebly when Atlas soldiers made a grab for his unconscious teammates. He reached desperately for Gideon, a small choked sob caught in his throat.

“ _The security that you desire, the security that you deserve, is within our grasp._ ”

Mitchell watched the Atlas men drag the bedraggled and burned corpses of his teammates away, his heart giving a pained lurch and his mind numbing.

“ _But it can only be claimed if you are willing to fight for it. Fight for it._ ”

An Atlas soldier then walked over to him and he stared up at the masked face. Maybe it was someone he had known. Maybe it was someone who used to be a friend—a kind face in the crowded Atlas hallways.

The man grabbed him by the protective jacket he was wearing and dragged him up, flinging him unceremoniously onto the back end of a truck.

He forced himself to look up a bit and he saw Ilona. She was facing away from him but her arms were bent over her back. He pushed himself forward and lifted his hands to press his fingers against her palm. He felt her fingers twitch and bit the inside of his cheek, letting out a pained breath. He held onto her hand tightly and felt his body lurch forwards when the truck began to move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, only 2 chapters left in this fic! I'm a little sad but excited at the same time. Once it's done I'll have more time to concentrate on the other one. Hope you guys have enjoyed as much as I have, thank you all for the support! :)


	10. Captured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY AGAIN! Though this time I have an excuse for the wait—I spilt milk accidentally on my computer so I've had to work from my phone. That's what I'm using to update so I sincerely hope this chapter comes out properly. Sorry for any mistakes, I don't particularly enjoy typing on my phone for extended periods of time so :/ good news though, my new laptop should be here next week (ugh I'm so broke now) and I've finished the last chapter so that should be up in like 30 minutes or an hour! Yay! Thanks for all the super support throughout this fic! I loved writing this chapter :)

 

**Chapter Ten**

Unknown Location

January 8th, 2061

1430 HRS

 

 

* * *

 

I've cheated death many times—got right up close to it. It was never something I welcomed, but with it comes serenity, a clarity that you'd never expect. You experience the present as the inevitable destination of every step you've taken towards it and in that same moment, you see a different path stretch out in front of you—the path you could've taken at the first step. We are all on this road together. The good men who fight for wrong causes and the corrupt men who cloak themselves in righteousness—each one of them convinced they are on the side of the angels. But every journey has an end and death can only be cheated for so long. We had thrown everything we had at Atlas and come up short. Now it was time to pay the price.

 

*

 

Mitchell had roused God knows how many hours later. He knew it had been a while from where the sun was now resting closer to the horizon. His neck hurt the most out of every other protesting joint and muscle. He could ignore it, though. The pain wasn't nearly as intense as the despair flourishing within him.

He felt something knock at his foot and slowly lifted his head. It was Gideon. He was sitting beside Ilona, her head hung low on her tense shoulders.

Mitchell closed his eyes and breathed an almost inaudible sigh of relief. They were alive.

"Glad to see you're up mate." Gideon said, his voice brisk and raspy. Mitchell smiled slightly at him and felt his body twitch. He wanted to be beside Gideon so badly right now even though he knew it was probably best he couldn't be.

"Stay alert. Any detail could make the difference."

"What is this place?" Ilona asked, her voice low as the truck passed through a heavy armored gate.

"Used to be a research lab. Looks like Irons...modified it since."

Mitchell clicked his tongue in disgust.

"Research for what?"

Gideon lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. "Medical advancements. Something like that. Doesn't matter. It's a prison now."

The truck continued forwards for a little longer before grinding to a halt.

"This is it." Gideon said. "Only way we survive this is by keeping our heads." He looked up at Mitchell, urgency in his eyes. "Wait for an opportunity."

"Everyone off the truck." An Atlas soldier ordered. They started grabbing the prisoners and yanking them off the truck and onto the ground. When one of the Atlas men grabbed Gideon by the front of his jacket and threw him off the truck, he so nearly lost it. But he was soon on the floor as well, rolling over in the dirt. Fucking hurt like a bitch. If his lower back wasn't aching before, it sure as hell was now. The same Atlas soldier pulled him up and shoved him forwards. Gideon was already a few feet in front of him and Ilona trailing not far behind. He picked up the pace so that he was closer.

"Cormack?"

Mitchell's head snapped around and he looked to the ground where Cormack was struggling up. He moved closer so that he was standing beside Ilona.

"Gideon." Cormack answered, his voice pained and hoarse. He was limping as they were herded into a large elevator and Mitchell wanted to help him but the guards wouldn't have it. They shoved Mitchell in hard and he hadn't been expecting it, almost toppling over, but Gideon caught him and steadied him, using the excused closeness to brush their noses lightly together. The moment was fleeting and when more prisoners were shoved in and Mitchell was forced to back away a bit.

"How'd you end up here?" Gideon asked Cormack.

"Our air support was wiped out when manticore hit," Cormack began. "I was outside the blast radius, but our squad was surrounded and outgunned."

"Is there a rescue force coming for us?" Ilona asked, voicing Mitchell's much earlier thoughts.

"Downtown is contaminated. We've pulled out of the city entirely. I...don't think anybody's coming."

There was a heavy silence between the group as the elevator shuddered to a stop.

The doors suddenly opened and Gideon was yanked out and thrown to the floor, Mitchell's blood boiling at the sight. He wanted to break that guys neck and he's sure he would be able to as well but Gideon caught his gaze and gave him a knowing look, forcing Mitchell to suck it up and be shoved out of the elevator.

The group was herded forward through the complex and Mitchell could see some of the prisoners being killed on the other side of the glass.

"Eyes forward!" The Atlas soldier that was behind him yelled, slapping the back of Mitchell's head hard.

They were pushed through a doorway that housed more prisoners, all of them shoved into tiny boxed compartments. It was sick and Mitchell didn't want to look. He would probably snap. They were led around another corner, the whimpering and crying and begging of the people in the cages getting quieter. They were led into something like a large garage with a big metal door at the end. They were nearly all lined up when the Atlas soldier slammed his fist into Gideon's stomach, forcing the man to double over.

"Don't you fucking—!" Mitchell's threat was cut off when he suffered the same fate, his tied hands being yanked forwards and hooked up to a line that hauled him forward. He was dangling in front of Gideon who was trying to back away from the man that entered with a syringe but it was too late—for all of them.

 

*

 

Mitchell's head was throbbing something chronic when he came around. He could barely focus on the room in front of him, everything was blurred and mashed together. He let his eyes slip shut for a few long moments before he blinked and tried again. This time he could see and he wished he couldn't. He was bound in place by steel straps and surrounded by dirty tiles.

The door opened to his left and his head snapped around.

"I wanted to meet the man whose mission it was to kill me." Irons said, waltzing into the room. Mitchell looked more to his right and noticed Cormack tied in the same position. His heart gave a small painful tug at the sight of Gideon on the other side of a glass window. If they did something to him now, Mitchell wouldn't be able to do anything and that scared him.

"Our mission," Cormack spat. "Was to stop you. But if that meant killing you, I don't think anybody would be too troubled."

"Failure is not something we tolerate here at Atlas, so I'm disturbed that three of my best contractors have failed so miserably! But," Irons shrugged. "That's the way it has to be."

He was standing right in front of Mitchell now and all the private wanted to do was bash his head against the nearest wall.

"The wheat from the chaff, the strong from the weak—the ancient Spartans knew the true meaning of warfare. But that truth has been lost to us for two millennia."

"What of your son Will?" Cormack interrupted. "What was he, wheat or chaff?" The end of that sentence was spoken with bitter disgust.

"Will was the victim of the misguided policies of the United States government." Irons said quietly—menacingly—as he walked towards Cormack.

"Will died fighting for what he believed in!"

Mitchell dropped his gaze, biting on the inside of his cheek. Will. _Will_. His best friend. Had he known his father was a monster?

"Course the tragedy is," Irons continued as if Cormack never spoke. "Dying for what you believe in doesn't make it true."

He turned and grasped the gun that was handed to him from the Atlas soldier by the door.

Mitchell barely had enough time to register it before Irons shot Cormack, the man's agonized cry filling the room.

"Cormack!" Mitchell yelled. " _What the fuck are you doing you asshole?!_ "

"You're not young but you are strong, Cormack, so I give you 20 minutes to bleed out."

Irons turned away from Cormack and walked  over to a movable metal cupboard, picking up a wrench that was resting on top of it and examining it.

"Time enough to consider whether it was all worth it."

Irons looked at Gideon through the glass, the wrench gleaming in his hand. Gideon was staring at him with pure hatred and rage, struggling against his restraints and not even blinking when the Atlas soldier pressed the gun he was holding to his head.

Irons turned away from him and walked back over towards Mitchell who was seething, mouth agape.

"And you." he said, his voice hard and low, menacing enough to make a small unsuppressed shiver crawl up Mitchell's aching spine. Irons held the wrench up and pressed the freezing metal against his cheek, forcing Mitchell to yank himself sideways as much as he could to avoid it.

"The prodigal son returns." He leaned in far too close for comfort and whispered: "I believed in you. I gave you a second chance."

Mitchell was about to reply to that before Irons lifted the wrench and _slammed_ it against his prosthetic arm.

All that came out of Mitchell's mouth was a raw gasping scream that ripped from his throat, the agonizing pain searing straight through his veins all the way up his arm. Mitchell couldn't breath through the pain as Irons raised his hands and slammed down again, his voice loud and shattering as he cried out in agony, hot liquid circling his waterline and pooling in the corners of his eyes.

Gideon was thrashing on the other side of the glass, yelling and kicking desperately, trying to free himself from the restrains. He was shouting Mitchell's name but the private couldn't hear him—couldn't hear anything but the sound of his own screams and the crunching of his arm after every slam of the wrench.

Mitchell gasped for breath when Irons stopped attacking him. His eyesight was blurring at the edges and his whole body was shuddering with the overwhelming pain. He could barely breath, his heart throbbing painfully in his chest, the vein pulsing visibly in his neck. He blinked furiously, the tears that had accumulated falling freely down his sweaty cheeks and onto the floor below.

"You're nothing like Will." He heard Irons say before darkness overtook him.

 

It was only momentarily but in those few blissful moments of darkness, he felt nothing. He wanted to feel nothing. He didn't want to wake up—but he did.

Slowly, Mitchell's eyes opened and the pain was there instantaneously to welcome him. He grit his teeth hard, clamping his jaw shut tight so he wouldn't cry out in agony. He felt as though his mere skin would split and the pain would leak out of him.

He looked up slowly, his eyes falling on Cormack who was kneeling in a significant amount of blood. He turned his face to the glass window, praying that Gideon and Ilona were okay.

Gideon's forehead was against the glass and even from here Mitchell could see Ilona's eyes shining with unshed tears.

Irons was no longer in sight and Mitchell was about to close his eyes again when he saw Gideon and Ilona attack the two Atlas soldiers behind them. Gideon grabbed the soldier's head and slammed it repeatedly against the glass window, his lips moving fast as if he were yelling something. He then forced him to shoot at the other soldier that Ilona was dealing with. Gideon grabbed the soldier's hands to pull him forward and kicked him hard against the weakened glass, which inevitably shattered upon impact. He tried to shoot the soldier but the gun was out so he leapt on him, tackling him on the ground and slamming his head against the floor until he stopped struggling. Afterwards Gideon proceeded to look around for something to cut off his wrist restraints. When he managed, he leapt up and began unhooking Mitchell from where he was held.

Mitchell couldn't really hear his voice, everything was a little out of sorts in his brain, a numbing sensation spreading through his body.

"Get him out of there!" He heard Gideon yell to Ilona.

When Mitchell was free he fell bonelessly forward but Gideon caught him and pulled him into his arms, one hand embedded in Mitchell's hair and the other one strong against his back, supporting him.

Mitchell could hear Gideon's heavy breathing beside his ear and he briefly shut his eyes, relishing in the safety of the man's arms.

Gideon pulled back after a moment and steadied him.

"Can you walk?" He asked, Mitchell's face between his hands, his thumbs stroking over Mitchell's bruised cheek bones.

Mitchell nodded after a moment and Gideon nodded back, some of the worry leaving his posture.

"Can you walk?" This time it was Ilona asking Cormack.

"Stop Irons," he rasped. "I'm done."

"Shut it," Gideon snapped, his voice strained and desperate though he tried to sound threatening. "We are leaving. _All of us_."

Ilona moved Cormack's arm over her shoulders and she supported his back with her left arm, lifting him up as the man nursed his bleeding side.

"I've got him." She said sternly.

"Alright," Gideon nodded, moving towards Mitchell who looked dangerously close to keeling over. He twined his arm with Mitchell's and linked their hands, pulling him towards the exit. "Follow me and stay quiet."

They wobbled over to the door and Gideon pulled it open with his free hand.

They trudged through a hallway that was infested with bags big enough to hold bodies and at a closer look, they _were_ holding bodies.

Mitchell didn't have a lot of time to examine them in disgust because Gideon pulled him forward towards another door.

He paused and banged on it with his fist.

"Hold on, coming." A voice answered from inside. Gideon squeezed Mitchell's hand briefly before releasing him and preparing to strike.

The door opened and Gideon leapt, tackling the man to the ground and snapping his neck. Mitchell hobbled through the door, regaining his footing.

Gideon offered his hand but Mitchell shook his head.

"'M fine," he managed.

Gideon hesitated before nodding. "You look like his size. Grab his exo suit and sidearm."

Mitchell walked over to the prone body and stripped him of his weapon and suit. Gideon hurried over to help him put it on, touching his shattered arm with the utmost care. Once the suit was on and Mitchell was situated, Gideon took the side arm from his hand and kneeled down beside him.

"Here. With only one wing you won't be reloading." He finished adjusting the gun and handed it back. "Make every shot count and pick up new kit when you're empty."

Mitchell nodded and Gideon helped him up before walking to the door and opening it, both soldiers hurrying through.

"This looks like surface access." Gideon looked over his shoulder at Cormack and Ilona. "Ilona, this way."

Ilona helped Cormack over to the door.

"Jack," Gideon began. "Get on that console and get the door open."

Mitchell nodded and hurried over, pulling the screen towards him and swiping his finger across it, pressing activate.

Another door that Mitchell hadn't noticed opened and two Atlas soldiers burst in.

"Drop your weapons!" Gideon yelled at the same time the soldiers ordered: "freeze! Get down on the floor!"

"You! On the console! Get back!"

"I will open fire! Mitchell, stay there!"

Gideon shifted his position and then yelled at Mitchell: "Drop them!"

Mitchell shot at the same time as Gideon, both soldiers falling to the ground. Unfortunately in the same moment the door they were trying to get through slammed shut with Ilona and Cormack on the other side.

"What happened?" She yelled.

"Doors locked," Gideon growled, punching his fist against it in aggravation. "Damn. Try to get topside! We'll find another way. Jack, let's move."

Mitchell followed Gideon over towards another door, bracing for the inevitable fight waiting on the other side.

Gideon shoved open the door and cast a cursory glance around the room before locking on the two furthest targets and leaving the closer ones for Mitchell to handle—which he did swimmingly, of course.

The pain had receded slightly by now, but there was still a throb that he was very aware of lingering in his forearm.

Mitchell paused beside a dead Atlas soldier to grab his AMR9 Extended Mags before pushing through an open door behind Gideon.

They hurried up a flight of stairs, Mitchell staying close on Gideon's heels.

"If I know Ilona," Gideon began. "She'll secure topside evac. Let's not keep her waiting."

They edged through another doorway, Gideon a couple steps ahead, checking all corners. There were just a few unarmed scientists or IT workers in the next room and none of them seemed like they wanted to go against him or Gideon in hand to hand combat so the private ignored them.

"Manticore strikes..." Gideon muttered. "He's launching missiles. Baghdad was just the beginning."

He watched Gideon's finger glide over the large screen in front of them.

"Washington, New York, Los Angeles... Military targets all over the country. Launch is in less than two hours. Fuck me."

Mitchell had no time to respond before more Atlas soldiers began filing in from the open doorway to his right. Gideon was already pressed up against a wall, Mitchell against the other.

At the same time they stepped in and shot, clearing the enemies out swiftly before pushing forward, Mitchell taking a moment to switch guns again.

"Stay calm and shut up." Gideon snapped at one of the unarmed IT guys that was leaning over his computer in fear.

Another door slid open and Gideon led the way down the stairs.

"Gideon are you there?" Ilona asked over the comm link, her voice heavily staticy. "We've got a problem tracking your position."

"Ilona—" there was a crackling noise and the comm beeped before cutting off entirely. "Ilona? Do you read me? Shit."

They pushed forward into a room labeled 'Test Chamber' and Gideon walked over to the small screen, fiddling with it to make the door open. It beeped strangely and Gideon raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?" He tried again but nothing happened. "Door's locked. See if you can—"

A electronic voice crackled out around them. " _Sequencing_."

"What the fuck?"

The door Gideon was trying to open before suddenly slid to the side, exposing a room stuffed full of those dangling sacks of bodies.

Gideon walked into the room cautiously.

"So this is Irons' vision for the future." He muttered, prodding one of the bags with the tip of his gun. "He's insane. I'll be damned if we let him get away with this."

Mitchell grunted in agreement, sidestepping the bags.

Gideon paused by some double doors, waiting for Mitchell to arrive by his side before he kicked them open and pointed his gun at the people inside.

"Out of the way! _Move_!"

They raced down the hallway and Mitchell shot within the first room he saw that contained Atlas soldiers.

"Nice shot." Gideon called over the commotion, making Mitchell want to smile despite the situation.

Mitchell swiped up another gun and ran through another doorway next to Gideon. They hurried through the room that contained more bodies and Mitchell had a tough time locating the exit—but Gideon did and so he just followed suit.

"We've gotta keep moving," he said, both men stepping inside the elevator and waiting for the opposite door to open.

When it did, Gideon burst through.

"On the fucking ground!" He ordered, all the scientists dropping like flies.

"You! Don't you fucking move!"

"Get back or I'll shoot!" The scientist cried, holding an Atlas sidearm up pathetically.

Mitchell hurried over to Gideon's side nonetheless, prepared to shoot the Atlas man's brains out.

"Help me get the door," Gideon said, braced with his fingers pressing between the glass. Mitchell did the same and they began pulling.

As it opened the man shot, but missed awfully so Mitchell wasn't all that alarmed. When the gun was empty the scientist, in a last ditch attempt, threw the empty weapon at Gideon who thrusted it aside with his hand easily before grabbing the man and shoving him against the table.

"Where is Manticore launching from? _Where_?!"

"T–The Atlas command center!" He yelled desperately. "In the city!"

Gideon yanked the man forward and punched him hard, dropping his unconscious body to the floor.

"The hatch," Gideon said over the noise of the bullets that started raining past them. "Let's go!"

Mitchell hurried forward, jumping through after Gideon and sliding down.

"The hell are we?!" Gideon growled in frustration when they hit the bottom. He was close by Mitchell's side, close enough that their shoulders were touching and he was holding onto the private's wrist—as if he were worried he'd slip away in the darkness.

There was a sudden horrible crunching and shifting noise.

"That doesn't sound good..."

The area around the two suddenly burst into blue light and the breath caught in Mitchell's throat.

He'd thought of many ways he could die but funnily enough, death-by-incinerator hadn't been one of them.

There was a humming noise before flames erupted from the walls in front of them, the waves of heat pushing them both back and singeing their skin.

"Shit!" Gideon shouted, moving his body as much as possible in front of Mitchell's. "Not good! We need a way out!"

The fire disappeared but the humming was still there, so it was only a matter of time before it happened again.

Sure enough as they started hopping from one cart to the next the fire was back.

"Look!" Gideon yelled over the noise of the flame. "A vent! Under the cart—Jack, help me!"

They pushed at it desperately together, the fire disappearing again but they were closer this time and would surely be scorched worse if they didn't get in the vent.

After a full few agonizing seconds of pushing, the vent was cleared of the cart and Gideon yanked the top off. They slid through and began crawling, ash and god knows what else blowing into Mitchell's face.

Gideon made it out first and turned around, bending back in and outstretching his hand.

"C'mon, reach!"

Mitchell tried but the humming was louder than ever and he could feel the skin in his face burn.

"Shit— _Jack_!"

Mitchell ducked back, trying to avoid the sudden explosion of fire above him. Gideon leapt back in and grabbed onto Mitchell's good arm and yanked him out.

Mitchell toppled forward and fell half on the ground and half onto Gideon who had both arms around his back.

"That was close."

Mitchell let out an uneven breath and moved off of Gideon, both men standing.

"You alright?"

Mitchell shrugged. "Considering the circumstances."

Gideon flashed him a crooked smile and used the pad of his gloved thumb the smooth some of the soot off Mitchell's cheek.

They continued on through the extremely smokey room, Gideon leading the way. It was like a fucking maze—Mitchell couldn't make sense of it.

"Sunlight—we're almost out! We need to alert command about the Manticore launch."

They hurried over to an illuminated door, the comms clicking back in as they ran over the threshold.

"Gideon, it's Ilona. I've secured a vehicle for exfil. RV at the north wall."

"Good work. We're on route."

"Hurry... Cormack isn't doing well."

"Through here!"

They raced out of the complete and out onto an open platform.

"That helo! That's our ride!"

Mitchell took cover, letting Gideon take care of the threats that were further away before he began attacking the closer ones. He hurried up the right pair of stairs, Gideon moving in from the left. They cleared out the soldiers, Mitchell having an awkwardly close call when he ran out of bullets—but he still had his knife and he had always been very handy with knives.

Gideon cleared out the three running down the stairs that they were heading to, Mitchell obtaining another gun to cover his six.

Once they were safely at the top of the staircase, the double doors slid open and they hauled ass inside.

"What the hell is this?" Gideon muttered from the window he was staring out of. Manticore and lots of it was laid out beneath them. "There's enough Manticore here to his every major military base in the world. We need to find Ilona and Cormack. Let's move."

Gideon wasted no time in kicking the next door open, shooting a clear path for them to the chopper with his amazing, unerring accuracy.

"Push to the chopper!"

Mitchell leapt on and grabbed Gideon's hand, the captain shooting the pilot before his feet even touched the ground.

"Any station, this is Sentinel two-one in the blind! Do you copy?"

"Two-one this is Kingpin. We copy all. Thought we lost you, soldier."

"Irons is planning a biological strike against major bases in the next two hours!"

"Understood. We are tracking your position. Sending air assets to assist with exfil."

The chopper shook ominously before heaving and veering downwards, making Mitchell's stomach flip.

"Kingpin do you copy?! Damn! Jack hold on!"

Mitchell braced for impact as the chopper propelled straight into the ground.

 

*

 

Mitchell pushed himself up on his elbows, using his good hand to shield the blinding light from his eyes.

He heard Gideon coughing and tried to sit up but his body wasn't having it. He laid there for a few more moments, listening to the crunching of boots coming his way.

"On your feet." Gideon said from above him, his hand outstretched. Mitchell took it and let himself be pulled up. A loose piece of debris suddenly slammed down onto the floor beside them and Gideon pulled Mitchell back, one arm outstretched in front of him protectively.

"Watch it!"

"Oh fucking fuck..." Mitchell muttered when the AST became visible. It hobbled towards them and Mitchell braced himself however it just walked two or three steps before falling to it's knees and then down on the floor completely.

"Still looks functional. Hit the manual punch out."

"Yes sir." Mitchell muttered, moving forward to the AST and yanking on a yellow lever that pulled the armour back and exposed the soldier inside. Mitchell pulled him out and took his place, the armour curling around him.

He stood up, using the rocks as leverage until he got situated. He looked down at Gideon who was smirking approvingly. Gideon pointed onwards to a blockage of debris that was blocking them in and Mitchell stomped over to it.

"Smash through that wall, I'll hang back."

Mitchell slammed his arm into the wall, grateful to have use of both now, and jumped down onto the asphalt below.

The soldiers below whipped around and were too stunned to shoot at first. Mitchell took the opportunity to use the machine gun to clear the way. He used his launcher to clear the trucks, checking all possible hiding places where he could be easily attacked from behind.

"Head towards the warehouse up ahead!"

Mitchell pushed forward, more and more soldiers filing in from every direction. He slammed his arm against a few close range soldiers, using their bodies to knock some others away. He could see Gideon up ahead, running towards the warehouse. He made sure to keep him in his sights.

"Alright, burst through!"

Mitchell ran at the door at full speed, knocking the metal doors clean off their hinges. Inside there were more soldiers and he readied his launcher to take out the first horde. He locked on the furthest few, Gideon close on his heals.

 _Ohhhhh shit_. Mitchell thought warily when he saw three ASTs walk out of their respective cages to come join the party. He backed up, locking on all three and shooting whilst trying to simultaneously dodge their bullets.

 _Two down, one to go_. He thought, moving to take much needed cover behind a huge crate.

" _Rocket ready_."

Mitchell walked out of the cover and locked on to the last AST, launching the rockets at it and wasting no time in showering it with bullets.

"It's down! Let's go!" Gideon called. "Ilona, we're approaching the north wall! What's your position?"

"Just get through the main gate, we'll find you!"

"Right—Jack you get those trucks and drones and I'll deal with the people."

Mitchell nodded and launched his rockets at the trucks, watching Gideon move stealthily out of sight and then rampage through the cluster of soldiers.

"That's the gate out of here!" Gideon informed when Mitchell arrived at the metal door. "Break the lock!"

Mitchell used his foot to smash the lock and lifted the gate with his hands.

"Hold it till I'm under."

"Obviously." Mitchell managed through the strain of holding it up.

"Alright I'm through. Let's go."

Mitchell pushed the gate further and further up until he too could fit through. Before he could take a step, a rocket slammed into him and shoved him out, the gate slamming shut behind him.

The monitor started warning him about overload and shit being compromised and he had half a second to brace himself before he was shot out of the AST and skidding across the floor. Gideon rushed to his side, almost knocked off balance when huge warbirds came zooming in above them.

Gideon turned away from them and bent down to help Mitchell up.

"There they are."

A huge truck stopped before them and Ilona jumped out before heading to the side door and opening it for Mitchell who hopped in.

"Get in!"

"Cormack?"

"He's in the back. I'll help him, just drive!"

Gideon nodded and ran to the driver's seat, hoping in and starting up the engine.

"Let's pray we're not too late."


	11. Terminus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //drum roll// Ta-dah! Here's last chapter guys!  
> Sorry for any mistakes, I'll be going over everything to fix again soon but right now, Imma work on my next fic!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)

**Chapter Eleven**

New Baghdad

January 8th, 2061

1900 HRS

 

 

* * *

 

The truck ground to a halt on the outskirts of the camp and as soon as the engine was off, Gideon leapt out with Mitchell and both ran to the rear of the truck.

Gideon yanked the truck end down and both he and Mitchell paused at the sight.

Blood was trailing down the surface of the truck and Ilona was in the corner supporting Cormack  in her lap and holding her hands over his wound.

Gideon jumped on the truck and helped Mitchell up, both soldiers going to his side.

"C'mon," Ilona pleaded. "C'mon stay with me... We're almost there."

Mitchell knelt down at Cormack's side.

"Almost there... Almost there..." He rasped out.

Mitchell pressed a hand against his arm, his fingers holding tightly. "It's not much further." He promised.

Cormack lifted a bloodied hand and grasped Mitchell's arm. "Don't stop—don't..."

A low rasping noise rumbled through Cormack’s throat and he coughed, grasping Mitchell's arm tighter.

Ilona shook her head. "C'mon, Cormack."

Slowly Mitchell felt Cormack's fingers loosen from around his arm and heard the small thump when the limb fell onto the floor.

Ilona's hands fell away from Cormack's wound slowly, her head falling low on her shoulders as she stared down at his face.

"So what now?" Mitchell mumbled, his voice sounding foreign to his own ears.

Gideon was standing behind him and Mitchell could feel his knees against his back.

"Now we finish this thing." He said, his voice hollow. "We're the only ones who can stop Irons from launching Manticore."

Ilona's hands rested on Cormack's shoulders, one moving up to press against his forehead.

"It's three of us," she murmured. "Against an army. It's suicide."

"You're right," Gideon muttered, his voice thick with the emotion he wasn't showing. "But it's what he would've done."

Mitchell caught Ilona's gaze and there must've been something there on his face because she nodded.

"Okay."

Mitchell's hand slipped away from Cormack's arm and braced against his knee as he stood. "You got any ideas?"

Gideon stared at him hard. "Just one."

 

*

 

It was a plan only Gideon could have come up with—a frontal assault on Irons' stronghold using the two mech suits we found back at the base. Drones would fly us in, after that we'd be on our own.

 

*

 

"Sentinel two-one, we are still detecting high levels of contamination in the city. We will not be able to get ground forces to assist you, over."

"Copy that Kingpin." Gideon answered.

"Enemy forces are closing in on your position."

"I see 'em. Jack, weapons free—light 'em up!"

Mitchell open fired on the boats that were around the river, Gideon clearing out the soldiers and trucks that were crowding to their right.

"Enemies on the overpass!"

They hovered over the bridge with enough time to shoot at the trucks that were advancing in their direction.

"More boats below us."

Mitchell aimed at the boats they were closing in on and fired his rockets.

"Good hit!"

"Two hundred meters to drop point!" Ilona informed over the comm.

The S.W.A.R.M missiles were officially Mitchell's favorite out of the options he had. He cleared the dock of soldiers whilst Gideon sank the boats.

"We're clear. Get ready to drop!"

"Alright," Ilona began. "This is it. Detach now!"

Mitchell detached from his line and fell into the water below with a heavy splash.

"Kingpin, we're subsurface. Approaching the breach point."

"Two-one, be advised. We will be forced to strike the command center of you are unable to stop the launch. We'll risk further Manticore contamination, but it will be our only option. If you don't think you can stop it, get the hell out of there."

"Copy that."

The walk reminded Mitchell of those times he used to train on the sand for basketball back in high school. He and Will were on opposing teams until the last year of middle school and that's probably when they became such good friends.

"Breach point is up ahead, let's move."

"Gideon, thermal readings are spiking inside the command center—they're going to launch soon."

"We'll make it. Jack, on me."

They entered a break in a wall and up a flight of stairs.

"Ilona we're inside."

"You should be right next to the launch pad."

Once they surfaced out of the water, they ran up the stairs, their feet heavy and banging as they went. Once at the top, Gideon led them through a orange lit hallway.

"Contact!"

Mitchell used his S.W.A.R.M missiles to clear out a path quickly. There were warnings blaring over their heads but Mitchell ignored it. They walked through an open hatchway and Mitchell cleared out the room again with the S.W.A.R.M missiles.

"Ilona, the missile's shielded—we need another access point!"

"Head down, you'll have to use the exhaust vents on the bottom floor."

"Copy. Jack, down the stairs!"

They ran down the stairs, Gideon clearing out the huge hallway before leading Mitchell through another hatch that wasn't infested with Atlas soldiers yet.

"Shit—they're launching! Go!"

Mitchell used the S.W.A.R.M missiles to clear the way as Gideon ran full speed past the crates towards another hatch.

They descended another flight of stairs, Mitchell prepared for the sudden horde of Atlas soldiers.  

" _Launch in t-minus 4 minutes._ "

Mitchell's heart rate increased tenfold in his chest as they entered a large open room.

Gideon jumped off the ledge he was on and cleared out the bottom whilst Mitchell cleared the top and met up with him at the bottom of a narrow staircase.

"ASTs ahead! Target them first!"

Mitchell saw them instantly and locked onto them, not giving them an opportunity to strike first. Gideon did the same, rockets whizzing past Mitchell's metal clad body and straight into the ASTs while Mitchell fired his S.W.A.R.M missiles. Not down yet, the ASTs ran at the two soldiers and Mitchell backed up to give him enough room and time to fire two more times, relying Gideon to end them.

" _Launch in t-minus 3 minutes._ "

The first two ASTs were down and Mitchell pushed forward, chasing the third one. Gideon managed to eliminate the fourth one and helped Mitchell with the last one.

"Clear!" Mitchell called two S.W.A.R.M missiles fires later. Gideon waited for him by a door.

" _Launch in t-minus 2 minutes._ "

Gideon kicked the door apart and burst through with Mitchell hot on his heels.

"There's an access point to the exhaust vents up ahead. I'm sending you the position."

"Got it. Keep pushing forward!"

They ran down a brightly lit tunnel, sidestepping a small blue truck on the way down.

" _System check complete._ "

"Shit!" Mitchell growled, willing his legs to go faster.

"There's the hatch! Jack, over here!"

Mitchell helped Gideon yank the pistons, snapping them away from the hinges. Gideon pulled open the hatch and Mitchell jumped through, slowing his descent by grabbing on the sides of the hatchway.

"Gideon, the launch is starting!" Ilona yelled over the comm.

the AI started counting down and Mitchell ran as fast as he possibly could.

"3, 2, 1—"

"Fuck!"

Flames erupted and catapulted the two soldiers back until they could find purchase holding onto pipes. Once they were steady they pushed forward through the flames, going as fast as possible.

They reached the rocket and Mitchell readied his guns.

" _Hit it with everything you've got!_ "

Mitchell fired everything at the rocket desperately.

"That's it! Keep going! Shoot it!"

The reloading sign flashed red on his screen and Mitchell fell to one knee and then onto his back, watching the flames sizzle into nothing.

"That's it!"

 

Mitchell's pretty sure he blacked out for half a second because when he opened his eyes again he saw Gideon hurrying towards him without the suit.

"Jack hang on!"

He heard the metal around him creak and recoil back, Gideon's hands finding his shoulders and pulling him out gently.

"We stopped it," he announced breathlessly. "We stopped the launch."

Mitchell breathed a heavy sigh of relief and grasped Gideon's hand that was pressed against his chest, over his heart.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, stay with me."

Gideon pulled Mitchell up and carried him in a fireman's hold. He tried to crack a joke about watching Gideon's ass but he didn't really have enough energy so he just dangled there uselessly. His eyes were closing every few seconds and it was a horrible feeling. He felt disoriented every time he came to.

He felt the floor against his back when Gideon placed him down and took cover, shooting at the enemies that were filing in.

"I need—give me a weapon—"

"Stay the fuck down or so help me Jack—"

"Fuck Gideon, just—!"

Gideon relented and thrust a sidearm into Mitchell's hand.

He shot at the enemies Gideon hadn't quite gotten to yet, the older man's body hovering over his prone form.

When the remaining Atlas were dealt with, Mitchell let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and dropped the empty sidearm.

"Gotta keep moving, stay with me."

Mitchell was in the air and over Gideon's shoulder again, swerving slightly as he ran.

"Sentinel two-one, city defenses are breaking. atlas troops are collapsing. We need to know the status of that launch."

"Copy that Kingpin," he heard Gideon say. "The launch has been aborted. Repeat, launch is aborted. Do you copy? Kingpin, come in!" There was a loud crackle in Mitchell's ear. "Ilona, are you receiving? Damn it! We're cut off! We need to move—they're going to hit this building any minute!"

Mitchell heard only silence for a while, his vision black until Gideon's voice brought him back.

"I'm setting you down. I need you to try and walk—can you do that?"

Mitchell felt the floor beneath his butt and reached out blindly for Gideon who took his hands.

"Need to find some light."

Gideon helped Mitchell up and steadied him, his hands tight on the private's shoulders. "You good?"

Mitchell nodded weakly. "Yeah," he lifted his good arm and pressed it against Gideon's forearm before turning to aid in finding light.

Suddenly the screen Mitchell's hands were searching lit up and Irons was on the other side.

It was like a goddamn nightmare with that guy popping up all the time.

Mitchell jumped back and reached for the gun holsted on his side.

"Hello, Mitchell."

He pointed it at Irons' head alongside Gideon.

"Don't you fucking move!"

"I could ask the same of you."

Irons messed around with a tablet in his hands and Mitchell felt his whole body shake and watched Gideon's gun shoot the floor, emptying the magazine completely.

"He's hacking into our exos! I'm out of ammo!"

"You rely too much on those things." Irons said, the barrier that had previously separated them dissolving.

"The city is falling!" Gideon snapped. "It's over!"

"What I started," Irons growled. "Won't end with me. It's bigger than me and it's certainly bigger than _you_."

Mitchell glared daggers at Irons' face. "Get the fuck away from him!"

Irons looked at Mitchell and yanked the gun out of his hand. "You think I'm a monster? That's only because you don't have the conviction to do what's necessary!"

"Necessary?" Gideon spat. "The attack on America? Unleashing Manticore, killing thousands of innocent people?!"

"I'm saving the world from itself! When there's no one left to challenge Atlas, there will be no more wars. There had to be sacrifices along the way!"

"Yeah, twisted fucks throughout history have used the same argument. They don't know we've stopped the launch—they'll bring this entire building down on top of you."

The floor shook ominously and Mitchell steadied himself.

He tried to back up when Irons pointed a gun at his face. Gideon struggled against his restraints.

"Don't you fucking—!"

"I could have killed you in the prison camp," Irons growled. "I could kill you now—but I won't. Because I'm _not_ a monster."

Irons tucked the gun in his inner coat pocket and turned on his heel, leaving them behind.

"Mitchell, try to hit the release on your exo!"

Mitchell willed his arm to move. It ached something chronic but he kept pushing, pulling his other one up to click the release button on the pad. He managed and it released him.

"Now mine—"

Mitchell stood and pressed on Gideon's pad too, but nothing happened.

"Shit... It's not working."

The building gave another heavy rattle.

"There's no time!" Gideon muttered. "If he gets away, this would have been for nothing! Go, now!"

"I'm not going to leave you here!" Mitchell protested, his hand still on Gideon's arm.

"Now, Jack!"

Mitchell's lips parted and closed again. He tore himself away and ran full speed after Irons.

The fucker was legging it down the hallway and as soon as he caught sight of Mitchell after him, he picked up the pace. Mitchell ran with newfound energy. He raced across the floor, sliding on his knees when a glass door almost blocked his path. He was up in a matter of seconds and Irons was now closer—a few more steps and he'd be in reach. He'd almost grabbed him when another soldier jumped down in front of him from somewhere Mitchell hadn't seen. Mitchell yelled and grabbed the guard, shoving his gun away and all but throwing him over the edge of the bridge they were on. He spun the knife he'd grabbed in his hand and held it tightly before leaping at Irons and tackling him to the ground. They both rolled and Irons' body smashed against the glass railing, his momentum forcing him over and the only thing keeping him up was his grip on Mitchell's damaged prosthetic arm.

"Mitchell! Pull me up! I'm not letting go so you have to pull me up! Mitchell—"

Mitchell forced his other hand forward desperately, grunting from the pain it caused.

"There's only two choices!" Irons yelled. "You either pull me up or this whole building goes down and we go down with it!"

Mitchell ignored the explosions below and began using all his strength to pull Irons up, just until his damaged arm was in reach.

"What're you doing?! Mitchell! I gave you that arm! I gave you a second chance!"

" _Shut the fuck up_!" Mitchell shouted, his arm finally in reach.

He didn't even think about the pain as he struck his arm, slicing it across so that it came loose and fell down to the fiery ground below, Irons along with it.

"MITCHELL!"

Mitchell stared down at the flames, dropping his knife and gritting his teeth hard.

 _Will_ , he thought. _I'm sorry Will_.

Suddenly he felt a tug on his arm and whipped his head around in alarm.

"It's just me," Gideon said, hauling Mitchell up and wrapping his arm around his neck. "I've got ya mate—I've gotcha." He cast a glance down at the fire below and then turned back to Mitchell. "It was only going to end one way for him."

There was a short silence between them before Jack gripped Gideon's neck tightly, his breath coming out quick and heavy as he tried to repay the oxygen debt whilst the adrenaline was still running fresh through his veins, his heart hammering like crazy in his chest.

"Gideon I—"

The words lodged deep in his throat, refusing to be uttered.

Gideon turned to look at him, his own chest rising and falling more naturally now.

"I—" he took another shaky breath and Gideon seemed to catch on.

"Oh no, no no no don't—"

"What?" Mitchell almost whined, staring at Gideon in vexation. "Shut up you dick I'm trying to—"

"No fuck, oh my god you—we're still technically saving the world can we do this later? Ilona's gonna be here any minute and—"

"Shut up Gideon I'm trying to fucking tell you that I—" Oh God it wasn't coming out. He's never felt so unable to say something in his entire life. Why was it so hard to say!

"Ja—"

"I love you."

There we go.

"Oh fucking hell—"

"I fucking love you. I—"

Gideon moved his arm and grabbed Mitchell by the back of his neck, dragging him into a kiss, his lips connecting with the private's in a harsh mash of tongue and teeth as he tried to pry Mitchell's mouth open fast enough. Jack clawed at Gideon's uniform shirt trying to get his arms around his neck, and one hand preferably into that gorgeous blond hair. Gideon's hand rested gently at the base of his head, fingertips brushing against his hairline as he guided his head to the side for beter leverage, his free hand sliding forwards to cradle Mitchell's bruised cheek.

Mitchell could hear the sound of a chopper not too far off in the distance but he didn't want to stop. When he finally ran out of breath though, Mitchell only pulled back a little, their noses still brushing and he stared at his face for a long moment because, seriously, Gideon's face like this deserved a few long moments of silent appreciation.

The chopper was loud now and Mitchell could see it hovering downwards out of the corner of his eye. 

"Mitchell, Gideon," He heard Ilona call from the open doorway she was hanging gracefully out of, the grin more than evident in her voice. "Stop fucking around and get over here!"

 

* * *

 

Irons gave me a second chance, and I gave it back. He thought he could solve the world's problems. If he did have the answer, he took it with him to the grave. But he was right about one thing. It wasn't the end, it was just the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S FINISHED. Holy shit. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! It's the first story I've ever actually finished and I'm super freakin' proud. I've started the next story already, I can't wait to get that one up soon too! 
> 
> Anyways, thank you all for reading all the way to this point! I'll most likely go through the whole thing and fix any mistakes I over looked, sorry in advance for any in here. 
> 
> Alright guys, I look forward to sharing the next many Jack/Gideon stories I will write with you all!  
> Stay awesome.


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